What The Hell is Doug DeMuro Smoking?

[cybrpnk2077]

People still buy BMW, Audi, Bentley all the other brands with depreciation issues. Just buy what you want. And I want a CT.

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[ChiTechGuy]

It's the internet, filled with rage bait, gas lighting, misinformation crap... He fits a certain audience but it's all BS...

 

[vandytom]

As a rule of thumb, I trust no one named Doug.

Sequel post part deuce:

Pronunciation rhymes with Douche.

 

[CallsignVega]

Skimmed through his video; that was painful. IMO he's always been over-rated, he reminds me of a used car salesman.

This whole mentality of "let's compare a $120K FS Cyberbeast to the SINGLE CT that sold on his site in all of 2026 (which happens to be by far the least desirable - RWD model); sold in the high 50's" as the Cybertruck losing over half its value in two years is laughable click-bait.

If you use more than two brain cells and compare apples-to-apples, say a USED 2025 AWD to a NEW 2026 AWD Premium, the truck is actually retaining value exceptionally well.

 

[PungoteagueDave]

If you watch the whole thing, I think it’s pretty hard to argue with what he’s saying. Interestingly on their podcast with him and Camissa’s hot take was that the cybertruck is the best truck ever made. And of course he’s right.

I value my model S plaid at $200,000. Zero people will ever get me to sell it for less than that. That doesn’t mean the market agrees with me. The market is not ration.

Here Doug explains all of the reasons why the cyber truck has the depreciation problem it does and if you don’t think that these trucks will be going for less than $20,000 in 10 to 11 years like he says, then you’re crazy. Mine won’t. But, the market does not respect electric vehicles from any brand.

The model X right now is an anomaly but when peoples falcon doors start breaking they will sink like a rock too.

Exactly correct. I have sold five Teslas. Original MSRPs ranged from $83k-$132k. All went for under $30k. All were five or less years old. Depreciation is real. What folks forget is functional obsolescence. Owners can hardly give away HW 3 vehicles now. 2013-15 MS are going under $10k - and essentially worth zero because a replacement, even refurbished, battery costs more than the purchase price for the whole car. A ten year old ICE vehicle holds y/y value better than any EV - because they can be repaired and run forever, while an EV is akin to a mobile phone - who among us is still using a ten year old iPhone? They’re junk. That’s Doug’s argument, and he’s right, although he stated it as clickbait - and some of you took the bait, hook, line, sinker, leader, and are trying to see if the rod is edible. When Tesla is at HW 6 and no longer supporting our ancient CT’s, they will be worth bupkis. It’s not a fun fact, but still a fact. Cold, hard reality.

 

[PungoteagueDave]

The Cybertruck will hold its value better then other EV's, especially EV trucks.
Its design and stainless steel makes it unique and iconic. EV's are not going away.

That’s essentially claiming to be the tallest midget.

 

[AWDMK4]

Exactly correct. I have sold five Teslas. Original MSRPs ranged from $83k-$132k. All went for under $30k. All were five or less years old. Depreciation is real.

You've sold 5 Teslas, or you've bought 5 new Teslas from $83k-$132k that you've sold for less than $30k each, in less than 5years from buying new. Big difference.

Honestly, I call BS unless your a poor salesman. Specifics would help us believe.

 

[PungoteagueDave]

He’s smoking blended hundred dollar bills rolled in hundreds dollar bills, lit with hundred dollar bills.

He’s a great content creator. This is obviously juicy content. The title is extremely misleading, he goes on to be a little bit more clear about the outliers in the video.

What I have gathered from the video is, if you purchased a regular all-wheel-drive, and especially you for the tax credit, you’ve had extremely minimal depreciation.

Early adopters had higher, which is normal.

Also, “50’s” is not average, that’s the single lowest trade. Who knows the condition or mileage.

Correct. I paid just under $72.5k on March 2025 with the $7,500 POS tax credit for a new 2025 AWD CT. The rest of you are screwed. I mean, who would pay $120k when we KNEW the prices were coming down and the difference between a CB and AWD is meaningless to anyone outside this forum, or in daily driver use (although I can go further in my AWD than you can in your CB)? OK, FSD and lifetime Supercharging are worth maybe $10k, but still.

The correct answer: “I had the money and plan to be dead for a very long time.” At least that’s how I rationalized paying $132k for a car that Tesla later replaced with a better version for $90k. I still had the experience, and paid $100k in depreciation for the fun (my fun is called *ss-f*cking in the minds of some here), but it is what it is. When purchasing any new vehicle, I write it off that day - anything I get for it later is found money, resale value isn’t a consideration. You can fantasize about these becoming collector vehicles, but that’s what it is - a fantasy. We cannot get around the iPhone obsolescence factor. It is coming for all of us.

 

[PungoteagueDave]

You've sold 5 Teslas, or you've bought 5 new Teslas from $83k-$132k that you've sold for less than $30k each, in less than 5years from buying new. Big difference.

Honestly, I call BS unless your a poor salesman. Specifics would help us believe.

You are new here. Reread what I wrote. Exactly what you said in reverse order. Others here for a longer time know the facts, but I’ll humor you. All of these were purchased new:

2012 MS #209 Signature Performance purchased for $106k in late 2012, sold in 2015 for $29k.

2014 MS P85D purchased for $132k in 12/14, one of the first delivered, traded to Tesla in 2019 with 125k miles for $27k.

2016 MS P100D purchased 12/16 for $131k, sold in 2021 for $30k to private buyer with 90k miles.

2018 MX purchased 8/18 for $125k, traded to Tesla in 3/25 for 2025 CT AWD, $29k value with roughly 80k miles

2019 MX purchased 9/19 for $83k, traded to Ford for a 2022 Lightning, $29k. Had $33k offer from CarMax, but sales tax difference meant trading was sensible.

All were near or at blue book value, not given away, although trades did leave a few thousand convenience dollars on the table.

I currently own two Teslas, a 2025 CT AWD, paid $72,500 new after credit, (all the others above also had $7,500 Fed tax credits until the 2019 MX, which had a half credit as Tesla had exceeded credit limits that year), and a 2026 MY Launch edition, which was $62k new in March 2025. I figure the CT with 18k miles is worth maybe $60k-$70k based on recent sales. It is holding value better than any Tesla I’ve owned because (a) I bottom-ticked the new CT OEM Tesla price (b) I managed to get the full Federal credit at point of sale, (c) Tesla’s recent games with cheaper models helps support my truck’s value, and (d) relative scarcity is temporarily limiting availability, so there’s a recent CT price bubble with demand exceeding supply. By the end of the year I think it will settle down into the $60k range. I figure the ‘26 MY Launch edition is worth maybe $45k now, so 27% value “loss” in one year, about right for the premium midrange luxury EV market, but will likely drop into the $20s within 3 years.

It’s just how these things roll. Bigger, more expensive cell phones. No one buys a five-year-old iPhone. The older they get, the more EV resales become challenged because no one knows the battery history, and CarFax is no help there. A ten year old ICE vehicle will always have more value than an equivalent EV because it is easier to assess/know what you are buying, and a large unplanned repair such a a new engine will typically be half the price of a replacement high voltage battery. An ICE’s analog interface never becomes obsolete - my wife’s 2013 Porsche is going up in value and is now worth more than its original MSRP, while every 2013 Tesla is worth under $10k today. Facts are sometimes terrible things.

 

[AWDMK4]

You are new here. Reread what I wrote. Exactly what you said in reverse order. Others here for a longer time know the facts, but I’ll humor you. All of these were purchased new:

Thanks for sharing the details of your tragic story. Whether I'm new here or not has not bearing how you wrote the post I referenced, but if you must insert your "dominance" feel free. You said: " I have sold five Teslas. Original MSRPs ranged from $83k-$132k. All went for under $30k. All were five or less years old." Without wasting time researching your Tesla ownership history, it still could be interpreted the 2 ways I described.

It sounds like you have more risk tollerance to depreciation than most (congrats) and considering these were cutting edge, upper-end Model S and X, the depreciation doesn't surprise me. Not much different than high-end Mercedes, BMW, or Audi.

It is disengenuous to state all Teslas will depreciate in a similar manner, at least in the short term. The entry level 2023 M3 RWD we own will be sold later this summer when my CT shows up. Paid $32,500 out the door and I can get $23,500 from Carvana today and most likely $25k+ private sale. With 30k miles and only 23% loss after 3 years, I'd say that's right in line with most Toyotas and Hondas.

We do agree that once the battery warranty is out, value drops significantly. I'm optimistic that will change over time once replacement battery costs drop and other 3rd party repair shops spin-up, but maybe that's just me dreaming.

As for some ICE vechicles holding value or increasing like your Porsche example, agree, they're out there. My 2004 VW Golf R32 (orginal owner) was purchased new for $26500. Today I could sell on C&B or BaT for $35-40k easily, but I'm not letting it go. Well kept '04 R32s are becomming unicorns.

Overall, we would probably both agree that when you buy cutting edge, first year, or "premium" trims of any vehicle, they lose more value than the middle of the road specs. Just the price to pay for luxury or being the first.

Look at the bright side, at least you didn't buy a Fisker Karma or Ocean.

 

[PungoteagueDave]

Thanks for sharing the details of your tragic story. Whether I'm new here or not has not bearing how you wrote the post I referenced, but if you must insert your "dominance" feel free. You said: " I have sold five Teslas. Original MSRPs ranged from $83k-$132k. All went for under $30k. All were five or less years old." Without wasting time researching your Tesla ownership history, it still could be interpreted the 2 ways I described.

It sounds like you have more risk tollerance to depreciation than most (congrats) and considering these were cutting edge, upper-end Model S and X, the depreciation doesn't surprise me. Not much different than high-end Mercedes, BMW, or Audi.

It is disengenuous to state all Teslas will depreciate in a similar manner, at least in the short term. The entry level 2023 M3 RWD we own will be sold later this summer when my CT shows up. Paid $32,500 out the door and I can get $23,500 from Carvana today and most likely $25k+ private sale. With 30k miles and only 23% loss after 3 years, I'd say that's right in line with most Toyotas and Hondas.

We do agree that once the battery warranty is out, value drops significantly. I'm optimistic that will change over time once replacement battery costs drop and other 3rd party repair shops spin-up, but maybe that's just me dreaming.

As for some ICE vechicles holding value or increasing like your Porsche example, agree, they're out there. My 2004 VW Golf R32 (orginal owner) was purchased new for $26500. Today I could sell on C&B or BaT for $35-40k easily, but I'm not letting it go. Well kept '04 R32s are becomming unicorns.

Overall, we would probably both agree that when you buy cutting edge, first year, or "premium" trims of any vehicle, they lose more value than the middle of the road specs. Just the price to pay for luxury or being the first.

Look at the bright side, at least you didn't buy a Fisker Karma or Ocean.

It’s not tragic at all. I knew what I was in for and wasn’t surprised, keep coming back for more. I write off my cars to zero the minute I drive them off the lot. Same for boats, motorcycles, etc. Resale value isnt a consideration. I don’t finance anything, and when I switch out for a new model, any resale or trade value is “found money’. No regrets on these luxuries, ever, just blessed we can enjoy them. We disagree on whether all Teslas will see that kind of value drop. They most definitely will - you kinda acknowledge that in quite battery warranty comment. Find me a ten year old Tesla that is worth more than $15k. They don’t exist. Find me a 13 year old Tesla, any model, that is worth more than $10k. Your example of a Tesla that is a few years old isn’t relevant - of course it holds value similar to a Toyota while under warranty. But as it approaches five years, it drops like a stone, while ICE vehicles have a much shallower glide path. It is all about being a computer on wheels - no one uses a six year old laptop of cell phone. And software, o/s support goes away in seven years for most, ten years for all. Same deal for these modern vehicles. Some are still around at ten years, a few will make it 15, but almost none will be supported at 20 years, if any. Simply not the case for ICE cars. There are ephemeral of late-90’s and early 2000’s vehicles on the road with many years left in them. Smartphones didn’t even exist then and a 2010 smart phone isn’t in use today, full stop. Why would our vehicle act any different? Elon is already having trouble dealing with HW3 cars made through the middle of 2023, less than THREE years ago. Those cars will likely never run FSD in the manner promised, and value spreads between them and HW4 cars are huge. You say you have a ‘23 RWD M3. Any Model 3 RWD manufactured between mid-2019 and early-2023 features HW3. Trade-in value on that car today is $19-$21k, maybe $25k retail. Your car is likely a HW3 vehicle, but if produced at the end of 2023 it could possibly be HW4. In that case it could be $26-28k.

 

[R.R.MONTY]

Exactly correct. I have sold five Teslas. Original MSRPs ranged from $83k-$132k. All went for under $30k. All were five or less years old. Depreciation is real. What folks forget is functional obsolescence. Owners can hardly give away HW 3 vehicles now. 2013-15 MS are going under $10k - and essentially worth zero because a replacement, even refurbished, battery costs more than the purchase price for the whole car. A ten year old ICE vehicle holds y/y value better than any EV - because they can be repaired and run forever, while an EV is akin to a mobile phone - who among us is still using a ten year old iPhone? They're junk. That's Doug's argument, and he's right, although he stated it as clickbait - and some of you took the bait, hook, line, sinker, leader, and are trying to see if the rod is edible. When Tesla is at HW 6 and no longer supporting our ancient CT's, they will be worth bupkis. It's not a fun fact, but still a fact. Cold, hard reality.

I used to wholesale BMWs back in the days, and it was far, far worse than anything EV related with Tesla, so maybe for me im just not moved impressed with depreciation on Tesla. I had to move 70% depreciation on a car with 20k miles, pray to Black Book at auction. Tesla does very well at auctions here in FL so i just dont see things the same as others in the wholesale space. Tesla is pretty regular in my book, but not impressive good or bad in terms of description. Very in demand now in FL we cant keep model Ys at auciton they fly. That level of smoke is normal in the BMW world. Especially the BMW SUV world. I no longer sell cars so i have give a crap about depreciation now. Its not how i make money anymore so its moot for me and i view them as adventure toys now.

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