The Cheapest, Easiest, Fastest Way to Get a Tesla Model 3

**Less than $22/day claim is based on a 30-day month and assumes a $5,900 start fee, and $490 monthly subscription fee for a minimum hold of 36 months, excluding taxes and $500 security deposit. Actual costs may vary. The subscription is billed monthly. As of the date of this article, subscriptions are available for California residents with an iOS device. Autonomy plans to quickly expand to other states and Android devices. Eligibility requirements, subscription terms, and other terms apply to subscribe. While supplies last. Prices are subject to change. See the Autonomy app for details.

The Cheapest, Easiest, Fastest Way to Get a Tesla Model 3

A new Tesla Model 3 for less than $22 a day?* How is that even a thing? Welcome to the smarter, better, and yes—CHEAPER—way to get into the hottest car on the market. It’s called a car subscription and it puts YOU in control of the process.  

With an Autonomy monthly car subscription, you don’t have to stress about whether to lease or finance, and lock yourself into a huge time and money commitment. We own the car.  After an initial start fee, you pay monthly and drive it for as long as you like. The process is simple and 100% digital, allowing you to avoid a visit to a car dealership completely. 

The best part? You get to pick what your monthly payment and start fee will be.

How to Get the Perfect Monthly Car Payment

On our site, there’s a payment calculator tool (found here) that’s designed to help you optimize your monthly payment to fit your budget. It shows you how the more money you pay upfront to start your car subscription means less money you’ll pay each month to keep the car. If you want to pay less upfront, your monthly payment will be higher.

Here’s how it works: the calculator starts with monthly payments at $490 and goes up to $1,000 a month. To get that $490 monthly payment, you pay a $5,900 start fee plus tax for both and a $500 refundable security deposit. Each increment up to $1,000 a month comes with a smaller start fee. Willing to pay $1,000 a month? Your start fee drops all the way down to $0. It’s truly getting a car payment on YOUR terms. 

Remember: the bigger the start fee, the smaller the monthly payment, allowing you to find your perfect sweet spot balancing two things—what you’ll spend right out of the gate to start your subscription, and what you’ll pay each month.  

Lowest Monthly Payment Versus Lowest Start Fee

Experts would argue that the FIRST thing you should do when contemplating a car subscription is to figure out how long you plan to keep the car. If it’s only for a short duration, like 3 - 6 months, then experts would say to pay as little upfront as possible and make your monthly payment higher. If you plan on keeping the car longer, like 12 months or more, it might make more sense to bite the bullet and pay more upfront, giving you a SMALLER monthly payment. 

While we can’t give you financial advice, we can share an easy way to think about which one saves you more money:

Keep the Car 3 - 6 Months

• Pay NO START FEE and $1,000/month, plus tax and a $500 refundable security deposit
• The cheapest short-term choice, letting you avoid dipping too much into your savings

Keep the Car 6 - 9 Months

• Choose a start fee that might be a little more expensive out-of-pocket, but one that will bring down your monthly payment
• For example: a $2,400 start fee will have you paying $780/month, plus tax for both and a $500 refundable security deposit
• It’s the best of both worlds without sacrificing your savings OR monthly budget

Keep the Car 10 Months or More

• Pay a $5,900 start fee and pay just $490/month, plus tax for both and a $500 refundable security deposit
• The longer you keep the car, the more you save with lower monthly payments
• The cheapest long-term choice—by your 36th month, you’ve only paid about $21.50/day,* excluding the $500 refundable deposit and tax for your Tesla Model 3 subscription

How an Autonomy Tesla Model 3 Subscription Makes Things Easier

Figuring out what to spend each month on a car can be incredibly stressful, and pretty much ZERO fun. When you go the traditional route and finance or lease a car, the lender will try and steer you into a payment that benefits them—not you. Factor in paying for routine maintenance, title, registration, and fuel costs, and pretty soon that long-term loan or lease you just signed ropes you into a total cost of ownership that will leave you feeling anything but free.

We identified all the stress points in getting a car, and set to work creating a simpler way. 

Autonomy has removed so many of the common drawbacks of car ownership and gotten rid of the headaches of going the traditional route that locks you into a long-term loan or lease while your vehicle depreciates. When you get to set the financial terms of your subscription, you win. When you get to decide how long to keep your Tesla Model 3, you win. It’s the very definition of Autonomy. 

Finally, keep this in mind: Once you’ve got your payment dialed in and know exactly what you’ll need to pay upfront to get your car, you get to make the fun decisions. Like picking the color. Giving your sweet ride a name. And figuring out who’s house you’ll drive by first.