Marques Brownlee's Tesla Model S Plaid Is for Sale, but How Crazy Would It Be To Buy It?

You can argue that there are pros and cons to just about every decision, but what you can’t argue with is the moral value of a product. Those are facts. Whether you choose to ignore them, or if they mean very little to you, well, that’s a whole different story.

Let’s switch gears and talk about the Tesla Model S Plaid. Gauging its moral value can be tricky. It’s a flagship product, which now retails from roughly $89,000. The thing is, it used to cost a heck of a lot more to purchase back when it first came out. Around $120,000. Add optional extras like Full Self-Driving and carbon ceramic brakes, and that price tag would have blown up like crazy.

Speaking of crazy, how much sense would it make to purchase this 2021 Model S Plaid wrapped in Satin Black? The car belongs to tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, who recently posted a video on his “car channel” showing off his new daily, a 2023 Porsche 911 Turbo S. I’m guessing he’s enjoying that 911 a lot more than the Model S Plaid, which is why the latter is now in need to a new home.

There are some noteworthy mods and optional extras to go through. For example, Brownlee fitted his Plaid with 20-inch Martial wheels, to go with a full Satin Black exterior wrap and Black Camouflage wrap on the front grille and side mirror housings. If you don’t like the wrap, taking it off would reveal the Solid Black colorway, which should also look good with those wheels.

In terms of specs, the vehicle was purchased with a carbon fiber rear spoiler, panoramic roof, vegan leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a yoke, plus Full Self-Driving capability, and the Carbon Ceramic Brake package. For the record, Full Self-Driving costs $12,000 right now on the Model S Plaid, while the Carbon Ceramic Brake kit is $15,000. Basically, to spec a Model S Plaid just like MKBHD’s, but as a 2024MY vehicle, would cost you roughly $116,000 – and with just a few hours left in the auction process, the highest bid sits at $86,500 for this car.

According to the seller, the vehicle warranty is set to expire on June 10, 2025, or whenever it hits 50,000 miles. Unfortunately, it has already done 44,000 miles. Meanwhile, the battery and drive unit warranties both expire on June 10, 2029, or after 150,000 miles.

As for whether this Model S Plaid is worth buying as is, again, it depends on your perspective. It costs a lot less than what it did when it was new, and when you factor in FSD and the carbon ceramic brakes, let’s just say there’s a lot of value there. Then again, you can easily live without FSD, and without that brake kit, so if that’s the case, then just get a brand-new Model S Plaid with zero miles for $89,000. Simple, right?