I guess my snark didn't come through strong enough. :)

I guess my snark didn't come through strong enough. :)

Yeah, but if coupes can have four doors..

You missed the bit prefacing that - in which the stated price point is FAR more ambiguous and when he said that maybe someday they might be able to get to that price.

Someday I'll probably be able to buy a new i7-4790K processor for $10. Today it will cost me $280.

BTW, all public companies have to release GAAP…

Have you looked at the price of a fully loaded Sienna or Odyssey lately? They're already solidly in luxury territory...

A Sienna Limited Premium AWD with floor mats and the rear seat entertainment system runs $49,328 MSRP.

What would be interesting, though, would be the number of people praising Toyota for making a…

The transcript you linked was not a quote from Musk. It was a reporters interpretation of what Musk was implying ("hey, so you think it could cost half as much?"..."yep"..."so, what, maybe $35k?"... "we might be able to get the price down to that someday"..."OMG, IT'S GOING TO COST $35k!!!").

As for GAAP - refusing to…

That I certainly agree on. Well, maybe not the admiration. But this guy has an ego a mile and a half wide. Visionary as hell, but so annoyingly arrogant.

Did you read the takedown of Ward's claims?

First off, they complained that the 1.5L ecoboost in the Fusion didn't do better than some hybrids. (so?)

Then they tested the F-150 - but they tested the 4x4 supercrew, which isn't rated at 26 highway. Then to get the 15.6 you quote, they took a single partial tank refill…

You're falling for the same trick everyone else has fallen for - he made comments that could be interpreted broadly and you choose to interpret them in the most optimistic way.

Sounds to me like you're living in Tesla fantasy land.

First, the transcript does not contain a quote.

Tesla repeatedly uses non-GAAP numbers to claim profits.

And those calculators? clearly you haven't looked at them.

Seriously - it is fine to like the company and its products, but you're being blind to reality.

Musk went on to say that he thinks Tesla will be profitable by 2020, with help from the sales of the Model 3, and believes it's still on track to sell 500,000 vehicles that same year and expects to sell "a few million cars" by 2025.

Considering the % of ecoboost owners who are beating their epa combined mileage with mostly city driving, I think your proof is far from proof.

Yes - anecdotal data is proof when it fits his theory, but outliers when it doesn't.

NO, he has always said half the price. He never specified trim line, and never specified incentives or not. With the number fudging they've done on their lease cost calculators and their refusal to use GAAP, I wouldn't count on $35k or anywhere near it.

SW Ohio. You'll pay through the nose for diesel.

You can also improve the mpg of pretty much anything with tuning. If you made the EcoBoost less aggressive in its use of its turbos, I guarantee you could boost its mileage, too...

And what justification do you have for making that claim? I've never had a lick of trouble meeting EPA estimates in any vehicle I've ever driven...

Prices in my area:
Gas: $1.85
Diesel: $2.69

That puts fuel cost per mile in the 26 mpg F-150 at 7.12 cents vs 9.28 cents for the Ram diesel.

In other words, not even counting the higher price of the Ram, at today's prices, you'll never end up ahead in the Ram in terms of fuel costs...

If I take our peak summer prices of…

Right... and where was the work for the Rio done?

Too often people forget that the bulk of the work for cars is in basic chassis, platform, engine, transmission. Styling is easy work by comparison in terms of man-hours. Also very easy to screw up and make none of the rest of it matter, so in no way am I demeaning the…

The Kia Soul was styled in Irvine. It was engineered in Korea. BIG difference. Most major automakers only have a handful of stylists.

Tesla never promised $30k. They said half the price of the Model S - but didn't specify which trim line. Based on average transaction price for the model S, the more likely price point would be about $50k