Used Tesla Model S and Model X: are they worth it now?

A used Tesla Model S is worth it if you buy a well-documented 100D or Long Range: on Autotrader asking prices it costs about £55 per mile of real-world range, slightly less than the £58 of a used Model 3 Long Range. A used Model X is harder to justify at £81 per mile, and both cars are now old enough that most are outside, or close to the end of, Tesla’s eight-year battery warranty.

Tesla announced on 28 January 2026 that it is ending Model S and Model X production, CNBC reported. For UK buyers that changes little, because Tesla had already stopped building right-hand-drive versions: in May 2023 it said both cars would only come to the UK in left-hand drive. So every right-hand-drive Model S and X on the used market dates from between 2014 and about 2021, and the question is whether an older, larger car beats a younger Model 3 for the same money.

How much is a used Tesla Model S or Model X in the UK?

Most cost between about £11,000 and £26,000. On 1 November 2026 Autotrader listed 130 used Model S and 117 used Model X. These are the median asking prices of the first page of listings for each version, which is a snapshot of the market rather than a valuation:

Version (years sold new)	Autotrader listings	Median asking price	Real-world range (new)	EV Compared: £ per mile of range
Model S 75D (2016 to 2019)	28	£14,650	235 miles	£62
Model S 100D (2017 to 2019)	10	£16,370	300 miles	£55
Model S Long Range (2019 to 2020)	16	£21,795	325 miles	£67
Model X 100D (2017 to 2019)	24	£21,745	270 miles	£81
Model 3 Long Range (from 2019)	387	£16,897	290 miles	£58

How we worked it out: median Autotrader asking price on 1 November 2026, divided by EV Database’s real-world range estimate for the car when new (for example, £16,370 ÷ 300 miles = £55 per mile).

EV Database estimates real-world range for mixed driving rather than using the official test figure. The Model 3 range is for the 2021 Long Range AWD. Carwow puts the cheapest Model S, a high-mileage 2014 car, at about £11,000.

The depreciation is steep. A Model S 100D had a recommended retail price of £92,300 when new, according to EV Database, and its median asking price on Autotrader is now £16,370, about 18 per cent of that figure.

Is a used Model S better value than a used Model 3?

On paper, yes, but only for the 100D, and only narrowly. The 100D gives you 300 miles of range for £16,370, against 290 miles for £16,897 in a Model 3 Long Range, and it is a bigger car with a hatchback boot.

The margin disappears quickly once you allow for battery age. The table uses range when new. A Model S 100D was sold new between January 2017 and February 2019, while the Model 3 Long Range only arrived in 2019, so the Model S battery has had more years to age. If the Model S has lost 10 per cent more capacity than the Model 3, its range falls to 270 miles and its cost rises to £61 per mile (£16,370 ÷ 270), above the Model 3. That is why a battery health report matters more on these cars than on any other used Tesla; see our guide to checking an EV battery before you buy.

The 75D is cheaper to buy but has less range, so it costs more per mile than a Model 3. The 2019 to 2020 Long Range has the most range of the cars in our table and a battery that is still under warranty, but you pay for it at £67 per mile.

Is the battery still under warranty?

On most cars, no, or not for long. Tesla’s battery and drive unit warranty lasts eight years. Cars sold before early 2020 had unlimited mileage within that period, and electrive reported that Tesla then moved the Model S and X to an eight-year, 150,000-mile limit with a guaranteed 70 per cent of original capacity.

The 75D was sold new until April 2019 and the 100D until February 2019, so the newest of them have only months of battery cover left, and any car first registered before November 2018 has none. A Model S Long Range sold between April 2019 and October 2020 is covered into 2027 or 2028. The separate four-year, 50,000-mile vehicle warranty has expired on almost every right-hand-drive car. If the battery fails out of warranty, the bill is large; our page on what an EV battery costs to replace sets out the figures.

What goes wrong on a used Model S or Model X?

Three things cause most of the expensive surprises:

• The screen computer. Cars built before about March 2018 use Tesla’s original MCU1 media computer. Its 8 GB eMMC memory chip wears out, which can stop the main screen working, and Tesla ran a recall covering more than 159,000 cars worldwide to deal with it. Tesla’s UK upgrade to the newer MCU2 computer cost £2,340 when it was reported in October 2020, plus £470 to restore AM, FM and DAB radio. Ask whether the car has had the recall work or the upgrade.
• Falcon-wing doors on the Model X. The rear doors use sensors and motors to lift in two sections. Drive’s review lists the door hardware, air-suspension parts, large tyres and body repairs as expensive items. Open and close both rear doors several times on any car you view.
• Air suspension. Drive flags air-suspension components as a repair cost risk, so check that the car sits level and shows no suspension warnings.

Insurance is another cost: EV Database puts the Model S 75D and Model X 100D in group 50, the highest UK group. Our used Tesla Model 3 buying guide covers the inspection checks that apply to every Tesla, such as the 12V battery and panel gaps.

What does a used Model S or Model X cost to run?

More than a Model 3, because the bigger cars use more energy per mile. Using EV Database efficiency figures and our methodology prices, here is the electricity cost for 10,000 miles, before charging losses:

Car	Efficiency	Home off-peak (8p/kWh)	Price cap (26.32p/kWh)	Public rapid (79p/kWh)
Model S 100D	317 Wh/mile	£254	£834	£2,504
Model X 100D	352 Wh/mile	£282	£926	£2,781
Model 3 Long Range (2021)	249 Wh/mile	£200	£656	£1,970

Method: efficiency × 10,000 miles × price per kWh (for example, 0.317 kWh × 10,000 × £0.08 = £254). The Model 3 figure converts EV Database’s 155 Wh/km to miles.

On a smart home tariff, a Model S 100D costs about £54 more than a Model 3 per 10,000 miles. If you rely on public rapid charging the gap grows to £534. Charging speed matters on long trips too. The Model S and X 100D peak at 145 kW and take about 42 minutes from 10 to 80 per cent, the 75D peaks at 120 kW, and a 2021 Model 3 Long Range takes about 29 minutes. Tesla’s own network is the obvious place to charge; see our breakdown of Tesla Supercharger prices in the UK.

Vehicle tax is cheap. Electric cars first registered before 1 April 2017 pay £20 a year in 2026/27 and later ones pay £200. None of these cars pays the £440 expensive car supplement despite their original prices, because it only applies to electric cars registered from 1 April 2025.

Does free Supercharging come with a used Model S or X?

Only on some early cars, and you need to confirm it. Lifetime free Supercharging that can pass to the next owner applies to Model S and Model X ordered by 15 January 2017 and delivered before 15 April 2017, and to earlier cars that had it; later free Supercharging offers stayed with the first owner. Tesla may remove the perk from cars it resells, so a private sale is the most reliable way to keep it.

When it does transfer, it is worth real money. A Model S 100D covering 5,000 miles a year entirely on rapid chargers would use about £1,252 of electricity at the 79p/kWh public rapid average (0.317 × 5,000 × £0.79). Ask Tesla to confirm the perk against the car’s VIN before you pay extra for it.

Who should buy a used Model S or Model X?

Buy a Model S 100D or Long Range if you cover long distances, want a larger car, and find one with a battery health report, full service history and the MCU work done. On those conditions it costs about the same per mile of range as a Model 3.

Buy a Model X only if you need seven seats or its 2,250 kg towing capacity, and budget for door and suspension repairs. At £81 per mile of range it costs 38 per cent more than a Model 3 Long Range (£81 ÷ £58).

Buy a Model 3 Long Range instead if you want lower running costs, faster charging and a battery with warranty left. For the full comparison across every model, see our guide to the best used Tesla to buy.