YouTuber says there’s an ‘ugly truth’ that comes with buying a stupidly cheap Tesla after friend picks up steal for $17K

A YouTuber documented the purchase of a used Tesla, a 2016 Tesla Model S 90D, bought at a relatively cheap price, $17,000.

Buying a used EV is a gamble, just like buying a second-hand gas car, but for different reasons.

In this case, we’re talking about a 2016 car with 52,000 miles on the clock.

Luckily for the buyer, in this instance, the good news outweighed the bad news.

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Was this a 2016 Tesla Model S 90D a good deal?

The video was shared by American YouTuber Tavarish, real name Freddy Hernandez, on his second channel, 2varish.

The first thing we should point out is that the Model S was first unveiled in 2012, so it has been around for a while.

Having said that, a 2025 Model S has very little in common with a 2012 Model S.

The car in the video is a 2016 Tesla Model S, which means it is a lot closer to the old version than it is the newest version.

Everything’s different, from the battery pack to the car’s ‘brain’ – which is to say, the software – and this isn’t just a matter of performance or reliability, but it impacts other things as well.

For example, the speakers in this used Tesla didn’t work properly and the technician explained that, with older models, the only way to find out why is to physically look under the door panels and have a look.

By contrast, with newer models, you could connect a computer to the car and check.

The one thing that really surprised both the technical and the buyer is that somebody’s already tweaked the car.

“Interesting. Somebody’s already been in this [to add more power]. That’s okay, I can still one up it a bit,” the technician said.

All in all, the buyer got a good deal because this used Tesla is in good condition, apart from the sound system, and its battery pack is in great shape.

Breaking down Tesla’s (old) confusing naming scheme

This car is a 90D, which means it uses the old (and confusing) naming scheme Tesla used before replacing it with a straightforward system that only comprises three versions: Standard, Long Range, and Performance.

For reference, a Tesla Model S 90D is more or less equivalent to Long Range today.

The record-breaking Tesla Model S that covered 1.2 million miles, another example, is an 85D.

The number in the name is a reference to the battery capacity, so that naming scheme seemed to make sense at first.

But it quickly became confusing, chiefly because there were too many variants.

Now, you’ve got the Standard Range and Long Range models, with similar performance figures but different range levels, as the name indicates.

Then there’s the Plaid model, the fastest option, which is a record-breaking speed machine that can seemingly beat anything in a drag race, from Lambos to purpose-built muscle cars.