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Soon to own in Wigan, need a massive favour!

10K views 65 replies 22 participants last post by  DanPaul 
#1 ·
I've recently cemented my decision to buy a model 3 in the very near future, I could get one now on PCP or HP no problem (August or September delivery) but I think I would rather hang on for a bit and pay cash outright with the potential of price reductions owing to the upcoming release of the Model Y. My big issue I have is I'm worried it won't fit in my garage, and I'd be unbelievably grateful if there happens to be a current owner local to me that wouldn't mind bringing their Model 3 to mine to see if it fits in my garage, it's the length of the car that worries me.

I don't think it'd be the end of the world if it didn't fit in my garage, but it's what it's there for!!

Any help would be appreciated, Regards, Dan!
 
#3 ·
Hi. Yes, and I've measured my garage, and I've compared it with the measurements I've found online for the model 3, and it's very tight, all it takes is for it to be a few mm out and I won't be able to close my garage door, or I might scuff on the end wall. Given that Parkers measurements say that a Corsa C is wider than an Audi A3 when it's obviously not, am I to fully trust the info I find online?

Like I said in the title, I know it's a massive favour, but to physically see the size of the car within the garage and if there is indeed room to close the door would be more accurate confirmation
 
#6 ·
The sensors cut out at 30 cm I believe, so you can’t get it closer than that.
Yes you can!

I used to able to parallel park our Volvo V70 into a space small enough that once I was in both the front and rear sensors were on full blast (the joys of living in a terraced house at the time!), and never once touched one of the other cars.

With our model 3 I park it in our garage and back it up using the camera rather than the sensors - if you back up to the point where the wall/floor join behind the car disappears because of the bumper and stop there then you have about 2-3 inches between the bumper and the wall. I've not once touched the wall this way (did several times with the Leaf).

I reckon you can get the 3 into a garage with an internal front-back length of 4.85m. Ours is 5.1 and there's enough room to get past the front of the car with it parked (our Lexus is 4.85m long and you can just shuffle past the rear bumper of that, but i have a dangling string set up so it's about 1cm clear of the back wall)
 
#8 ·
You could put hang a piece of carpet on the garage wall and push the car till it touchs, that is assuming the car will allow itself to move forward under an external force.
I wouldn't drive it as the car could demolish the wall, I think I watched a YouTube some years ago where they did just that.
 
#10 ·
Potential price reductions when the MY comes out? Didn't happen in the US and the MY is almost certainly a year or more away from coming to the UK anyway. There may be other reasons why the price changes, but if you want to grab a bargain be ready to pounce on ex demo stock when they release them.

As others have said, if its close by tap measure, its probably too tight. .
 
#19 ·
Potential price reductions when the MY comes out? Didn't happen in the US and the MY is almost certainly a year or more away from coming to the UK anyway. There may be other reasons why the price changes, but if you want to grab a bargain be ready to pounce on ex demo stock when they release them.

As others have said, if its close by tap measure, its probably too tight. .
Yes it did

Tesla cuts car prices
 
#11 · (Edited)
I-S - I have a feeling the overall size of my garage internally is 4.85 in length, but I will be able to check for sure at some point and I already know I have to remove some shelving, it's off the floor but the bottom may still be too low for parking right up as far as necessary.

Toscal353 - I do have an up'n'over door, If the 3 does fit in the garage the door clearance is enough if I reverse in, probably not if I drove in forward.

BogieMan - Carpeting on the walls.... ahhh why not, there's already more carpet down the sides than brick as it is!! :D Literally wall to wall carpeting!!!

cah197 - Leeds is my closest showroom. I'll have to see if they trust a Wiganer with one of their lovely cars!
I do indeed really want this car, it's the first car I've come across in my entire 16 years of driving that I've wanted, and I'm at a point in my life where I feel I've earned something decent. Most expensive car I ever owned was an 8 year old Audi A3 I paid £5k for, nothing else I've ever had cost more than £3k

Jon G - I know I was probably being optimistic with regards to reductions. Ex Demo stock is just starting to appear, some really low mileage ones just sound like they're registered but not sold, and therefore still full price, some with maybe a years worth of miles on have dropped a grand or two. I do feel like there could be some Model 3 owners wanting to trade in for a Y when the time does come, then there could be something to be had on the second hand market...?

Not really in a position to move house to accommodate a bigger car... but maybe that's an angle I'd consider looking at if it means I can have a model 3 and keep it safe!!
 
#12 ·
Most cars are not put away overnight, even when a garage is available. In fact I do believe I’ve heard that insurance rates are lower if you don’t garage your vehicle, due to the risk of scraping it. Cars have got bigger, while garages (and supermarket parking spaces) have stayed the same size.

Why do you want to garage your M3? Security? Don’t forget you’ve got sentry mode. Protection? How about a car port, car cover, ceramic coating or a wrap?
 
#13 ·
Wire Cable Floor Plywood Wood


This is typical, easily reproduceable without bumping into the wall parking position. STOP when the floor is no longer visible in reversing cam, only wall.0

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My estimate was slightly off - ~100mm clearance.

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Running the tape under the car to the back wall, this is the view down at the front bumper. . There's probably a bit of perspective happening here as the official length for the 3 is 4.69m, plus the tape was butting to the skirting board. This is why I reckon 4.85m should be clear.
 
#14 ·
Some insurers do increase the price for garage stored cars, my current one doesn't. It's kinda for security, I like the fact that if someone passing the area doesn't even see the car they won't even be tempted by it, but also, weather protection, and potential clumsy neighbour protection.

I still haven't had a decent enough chance to go and accurately measure the size of the garage, but I'm as sure as I can be that bits and pieces that live in there at the moment with my current car definitely can't stay in there once the tesla sets up camp!
 
#17 ·
As a fellow Wiganer albeit exiled in Derbyshire I'd love to be able to help. I've glued foam onto the garage wall to stop my iPace door hitting it, I would have used carpet but had the foam handy. Mine is tight fit lengthwise due to a workbench, the suggestions above re tha cameras sound spot on. My charger is in the garage so it lives there, although I could stretch the cable outside if needed. I did lots of careful measuring, and with the iPace, width through the door is the trickiest, careful alignment needed. I'm only just getting used to cameras. Can you not use Tesla in Manchester?
 
#23 ·
Is summon available without FSD?

I'm most likely gonna be buying an SR+. If standard forward and reverse summon is included it certainly would be a help. I have a protruding column of supporting bricks on one side of the garage, meaning I can't open the door if I reversed in while in the car, driving in forward I have the carpeted wall on the right.

I'm quite proficient in parking within a few inches of the bricks to the left (in my current car)
 
#25 ·
I'll most likely get mirrors put in and I'll definitely have to go in forward but either way if it fits I'll almost certainly not have room to use the door into my rear garden, I'll have to come out of the front of the garage, close it and walk the long way around!!

Still, would be nice if there is someone local enough to have a go at parking one in my garage.... ? (just to be 100%sure!)
 
#26 ·
Still, would be nice if there is someone local enough to have a go at parking one in my garage.... ? (just to be 100%sure!)
I drove a Model 3 on a test drive out of Tesla Stockport the other day but I only had 45 minutes to check it out on various roads from rural to urban and motorway. Not enough time to get to Wigan and back.

The car was brilliant btw.
 
#28 ·
I remember many years ago when a relative in Erdington bought his first car. The garage had typical Brum build dimensions to fit a Morris 8. His Cortina Mk 1 was too long so he built an extension over the lower half of the garage doors designed to match the boot size. Like a small lean-to shed with a pitched roof to cover the car's rear as it stuck out beyond the masonry, and attached to the door to swing out with it. Even so, he had to physically push the car in there as the garage width was far too narrow to allow him to open the car's doors. Then he had to drag it out using the back bumper until a car door could be opened. Everyone else in his street just left their car on the drive.
 
#29 ·
My garage is part of a "garage en bloc" row along the back of a row of homes so I can't modify/extend, it's just that mine conveniently lines up directly behind my home. I think the most I could do is potentially have the door moved forward maybe 2-3 inches, as the length is the only thing I'm really going to struggle with, I'd no longer be able to use the small door onto my garden, but I'm a slim enough fellow that once parked "bumper to wall" I can still walk out the up'n'over door and just walk the long way around, only a small compromise really!

As for cars with similar dimensions it was an avenue I thought about just a couple of days ago I'll definitely check out the A5 coupe (a car I actually very nearly bought after selling my A3 as it happens) and I occasionally see one where I live.
 
#30 ·
No point trying to bench mark the size with an A5 Coupé. I speak from experience. My previous car was a 2018 S5 coupe. That fitted into my garage with no problems. My M3 does not fit at all, it is wider for definite, not checked the length as I could not get it in the garage.
Does it bother me? Initially it did, as I had always parked my cars in the garage. But now it doesn’t at all.
 
#31 ·
No point trying to bench mark the size with an A5 Coupé. I speak from experience. My previous car was a 2018 S5 coupe. That fitted into my garage with no problems. My M3 does not fit at all, it is wider for definite, not checked the length as I could not get it in the garage.
Does it bother me? Initially it did, as I had always parked my cars in the garage. But now it doesn’t at all.
Thanks for that. If it has to be that I can't park in the garage then I suppose that'd be how it has to be, I can still hopefully have a charger fitted that'll reach the car parked just outside it.

How long are the included cables??
 
#32 ·
If you can park outside your garage, then you will have no problems. It’s exactly what I do. Although I don’t use the cables provided with the car. 8 months of ownership and they are still sealed.
I got a Zappi 2 installed Inside the garage with a tethered cable. The cable is 7.5m and is more then plenty, goes under the garage door straight to the car. Great charger linked to Octopus Go, it really is peanuts to run, and a joy to drive.
 
#34 ·
I think that really is the only true accurate way, it seems that measurements online for cars isn't always true if the A5 coupe (on paper nearly identical to a model 3) is nowhere near the same size in reality. The one thing I need to be sure of is the height of the bootlid and whether my up-over door clears it on the way back down.

If it absolutely can't fit in the closed garage.... I may well wait for the Model Y (I really don't need a model Y!)
 
#36 ·
Apologies for my absence, 6 day working weeks are taking their toll!

Anyway, the useable length of my garage is 4730mm if I was to touch the bumper against the (rear exit) door frame, and that doesn't even allow for carpet or foam put there to protect the car. The garage is just wide enough for me to squeeze out of the open car door and I'd no longer be able to use the rear exit door into my garden which is no real issue. There could be a possible option to have the up/over door moved outwards buying me an extra 110mm but I'm not even sure that's worth it.

Anyway I thought you should all be updated whether you're interested or not. Believe it or not i've even looked at the possibility of moving house JUST to have a garage big enough for the car!

I know a garage isn't the be all and end all, but until living here it was a luxury I never previously had and the added protection from a weather standpoint is a luxury I really don't wanna give up. I've never owned a car costing more than 5k in my entire driving life so for upwards of £40k I'd be cherishing this car more than my own life.
 
#38 ·
Anyway, the useable length of my garage is 4730mm ........................................... There could be a possible option to have the up/over door moved outwards buying me an extra 110mm but I'm not even sure that's worth it.
Tesla 3 quoted length is 4694. Garage interior length is 4730. Happy days as 4730 - 4694 = 36 mm.

With 25mm of really soft and squishy sponge at each end where the contact point would be and the car would be cosy. Perhaps large baby bath sponge. Or offcut pieces from a local furniture upholsterer workshop.

Personally, I would extend the door outwards a bit - but on your figures, a miss is a good as a mile as they say.
 
#37 ·
Is the doorframe offset? Remember that almost all cars are longer in the middle than at the edges, as front and rear bumpers curve:

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4730 does sound extremely tight though.

For our lexus we drive it in forwards and I have a piece of string that dangles about 20mm from the wall (actually from a door track that is the first thing that it will touch), and we drive forward until the string starts to move - the numberplate is pushing the string and means that we stop ~15mm from the wall. We've never touched the wall with it using this method.

I can certainly sympathise with your wish to put the car in. I had a terraced house with on-street parking for years and hated washing/polishing/waxing the car to then have it rained on, bird $%^& on, etc. Cars have long been my pride and joy, and a good garage was an absolute requirement when we moved house:

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What I will say is that if it were just 1ft longer and 1ft wider across the door opening, it would be a LOT easier than it is. The low height of the aperture, combined with the need for the door to be at the front of the aperture (to buy that extra 4-6in in length) meant that roller doors weren't possible so we had to go with the insulated sectional (replacing an old motorised up-and-over that was terrible).

If you are going to drive in frontwards (like we do with the Lexus - obviously in our case they go in so that driver's doors are on the outside so there's room to open them and not open doors against the other car) then bear in mind that the front numberplate of the 3 sits out slightly proud, so if you use the same kind of string trick that I do with the Lexus you can guide yourself in and stop within 10-15 mm of the wall, consistently. If you do make a gentle contact with the wall then the numberplate is the thing that will suffer. If you go in rearwards then the bumper will be the first thing to touch.

Since you started this thread, Tesla have introduced the side cameras while reversing. They're a bit small to make really good judgement from, but with practice they might allow for reversing in to garage with the mirrors folded. Maybe in time tesla will allow some bigger views of the side cameras while reversing.
 
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