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The Tesla Cybertruck is the most polarizing slab of American metal since the DeLorean. Pull up at a traffic light, and half the crowd will stare in awe, the other half will mutter something about “Minecraft on wheels.”
Yet sift through the candid, sometimes bruising owner reports, and you’ll find a surprising truth: Cybertruck owners aren’t just tolerating their purchase, they’re falling for it, warts and all.
What Owners Think About Their Cybertruck
- Owners appreciate the Cybertruck's unique design and advanced features, such as its powerful sound system and smooth steering experience. However, some have reported issues with build quality, including panel misalignments and interior finish concerns, suggesting that while the design is groundbreaking, execution may need refinement.
- The Cybertruck offers impressive acceleration and handling, with features like steer-by-wire contributing to a futuristic driving feel. Nonetheless, certain aspects, such as the stiffness of the seats and the vehicle's size, have been points of contention among owners, indicating a balance between performance and comfort is still being sought.
- Beyond the vehicle itself, some owners have faced challenges related to public perception, including instances of vandalism and negative reactions, possibly linked to broader sentiments about Tesla and its leadership. This external factor has influenced the overall ownership experience for some, highlighting the impact of brand image on customer satisfaction.
Take Adrian Wisernig, who recently crossed the 20,000-mile mark on his Foundation AWD.
“Cost per mile (given my mix of charging): $0.075. Since it's replaced my ~16mpg diesel truck, that's like paying $1.20 a gallon. Not free but pretty good.”
That math is nothing short of revolutionary. Adrian’s verdict?
“Absolute Game Changers: Tonneau cover, Steer by wire, and FSD. Being able to conditionally cover the bed has been super useful... Steer by wire makes parking in cities (minus the spitting and harassment I've gotten lately) a non-issue compared to my F250. Eating bento with chopsticks on the highway with FSD feels like I'm living in the future.”
The Real Cybertruck Experience
“My wiper motor failed in the middle of a rainstorm and ended up driving the better part of 200 miles with a RainX-ed windshield and the front view camera; super exhausting.”
These owners have seen the inside of a Tesla service center, and they’re not shy about it. Yet for every gripe, there’s a sense that the truck is earning its keep, hauling tools, covering insulation panels, surviving rain, wind, and a life spent in a Pacific Northwest boatyard, with, so far, no flying body panels or rust.
The Cybertruck is what it’s supposed to be: a tool.
“From hauling tools, to dump runs, to covering insulation panels so they don't snap in the wind,”
Adrian says, echoing what pickup people have wanted forever, utility first, Instagram second. Jennifer Kozlik nails the shift:
“Going Tesla is a mindset and sometimes even a lifestyle shift. This is a brand that addresses the need (utility truck), but does it with phenomenal technology.”
What Musk’s geometric fever dream offers, traditional truck makers can’t: something genuinely new in a segment long obsessed with chrome grilles and commemorative badges.
How The Cybertruck Can Save You Money
- Owners report substantial reductions in fuel costs. For instance, one Cybertruck owner spent approximately $436 on electricity over a year, covering around 6,689 kWh, which equates to an estimated $2,573 in fuel savings compared to a gasoline-powered vehicle.
- Contractors using the Cybertruck for towing heavy loads have observed daily fuel savings. One such owner noted saving nearly $65 per day by replacing a gas-powered truck with the Cybertruck for towing purposes.
- Electric vehicles like the Cybertruck generally incur lower maintenance expenses due to fewer moving parts and the absence of oil changes. This contributes to overall cost savings over the vehicle's lifespan.
But let’s not get carried away. The Cybertruck’s Achilles’ heel, build quality, is as glaring as its design. Stories of panel gaps wide enough to swallow a thumb, and mechanical quirks reminiscent of Detroit’s darkest days, abound. Still, as Adrian admits,
“No flying body panels, no broken frames, and no rust (even though it spends a lot of its time in a boatyard in the PNW).”
It’s not perfect, and it never pretended to be. Yet the real gut punch comes with depreciation.
“It’s my first ever new vehicle (AWD Foundation) and paid MSRP, but ~50% seems a bit much. I figured it'd depreciate more like a laptop and less like a Porsche 911,”
Adrian confesses. The comment section offers tough love and long-term perspective:
“Don’t think about depreciation. Hard hit early but if you're keeping it forever like me, it will reach a point where it won't drop much anymore because of what it is and what it offers,”
Says Daniel Ruiz. Mike Adams shrugs:
“Buy any truck for $80k, drive it for 20k miles, and I’m pretty sure the max Carvana will offer is $55k. They don’t give you any extra for the Foundation price you paid.”
What Cybertruck Owners Know
In the end, Cybertruck owners know: this isn’t a get-rich-quick flip. It’s a long-haul tool.
There’s also pride, real, undiluted satisfaction, at play.
“Cybertruck is the best car I have ever bought. I don't think there is anything else that can compare to it, so drive it as long as I can. That is my plan. If I can drive it for 10 years, then I am already a winner,”
Says Zheng Zhou. These are not flippers or fair-weather fans…as Pratik P puts it:
“I'm 30k miles into mine.... not that it matters, I'm driving it till Cybertruck 2.0 haha.”
These are believers, shaped by the quirks, not in spite of them.
The Character Of The Cybertruck
None of this is visible in a glossy, weekend test drive. Real character shows after 20,000 miles, a few worn tires, a recall or two, and a month lost to a fender-bender.
What the Cybertruck offers, beyond its polarizing exterior and sci-fi hype, is a lived-in, work-tested, and often fiercely loved experience. Jennifer Kozlik puts it best:
“Going Tesla is a mindset and sometimes even lifestyle shift.”
In a world of vanilla crossovers and beige conformity, that’s worth every imperfect mile.
Have you driven the Cybertruck before? What was your first reaction to it, and did it live up to the hype?
Tell us in the comment section below.
Image Sources: Tesla Media Center
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.
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Comments
If you're happy with the c…
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If you're happy with the c-trucj but unhappy with the depreciation, don't sell or trade it; it's like selling stock at a loss b/c the market dropped- it's a paper loss till you sell. Wait for another year or two and don't worry about it, enjoy it's unique and entertaining qualities and fantastic driving experience. Depreciation on loaded Ford Raptors and top line Ram and Chevy pickups is also stiff, so you shouldn't be that surprised. Anything that sells for 90k plus will depreciate like a rock off a cliff. So lease or get a y- or try to find a used CTruck(good luck with that).
In nj our electric bill is…
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In nj our electric bill is going up 20% because of the increasing capacity needed because of electricit cars. Homes should not pay electric car companies should pay
These people are trying…
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These people are trying their best to cope but it's just incredibly sad.
You have to add all cost to…
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You have to add all cost to you milage. If you lost $50k for the 20.000 miles driven then your miles will cost you $1.25 more. Also tires and insurance is part of the mileage cost. It's all cost of driving a vehicle divided by the milage and not just the fuel. You are kidding yourself
Please stop glazing the…
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Please stop glazing the cybertruck, and be honest. Whenever I see one of these oversize pieces of junk in the wild, no one is excited to see it. Buy one and prepare for a LOT of well-warranted hate.
Anytime we see one, our…
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In reply to Please stop glazing the… by Flash (not verified)
Anytime we see one, our family rolls the window down, laughs loudly, and points. Why? Because while buying EVs is great, buying a CT is just ignorant and a huge waste of money. It also seems to turn people into a holes, both inside and outside of the car. Remember how people used to make fun of Hummer drivers? The public perception of CT is much worse, and I wouldn't wait on CT 2.0. They've stopped the CT line and laid off workers. Dealerships won't take them back and no one will take them as trade ins. There are hundreds sitting at the factory with nowhere to go. Like the DeLorian, it's gonna be a one off flash in the pan. If you have the money after bills, mortgage, kids college fund, emergency fund, etc., then great, buy the junk. But if you have not covered all the bases first, then it's just a toy.
The actual ownership cost of…
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The actual ownership cost of any vehicle should always includes include the depreciation as well as its consumables like tires AND REPLACEMENT BATTERIES. Just claiming the charging cost is bogus and deceitful, sorta like Elon.
Your 20k miles actually cost you more like $3.20 per mile ($50,000 depreciation + ($.70/mi actual maintenance x 20,000 miles) = $64,000). The thought that the only operating cost was the charging is laughable and a bit moronic. Grow up. There’s more bad news. Your CYBER is worth even less on the open market as people just don’t want it due to its excessive maintenance which is getting higher by the hour as any parts costs are climbing like a bat out of hell…. You bought into Elon’s shoebox dreams.
It also doesn't help that…
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In reply to The actual ownership cost of… by Gregory Johnson (not verified)
It also doesn't help that the CEO of Tesla is alienating his customer base by publicly committing to destroying everything they value. Regardless of whether you feel that those things should be destroyed or not, most Tesla customers are somewhat affluent liberals and a Tesla used to be a liberal status symbol demonstrating ones commitment to saving the planet and all. When the CEO of Tesla publicly commits to destroying everything those customers believe in, in the most confrontational manner possible, it damages the brand and thus the resale value. It's not even a matter of whether he's right or wrong. Let's assume for the sake of argument that he's right and to "save America" all those liberal ideals need to be torn down and destroyed. The core customer base of Tesla does not and will likely never believe that. And they cant be replaced by right leaning customer demographic because they are far too heavily invested in hating electric cars and a symbol of the left. I've literally heard people say "I don't care if it's twice as good and costs half as much, ill never drive an electric car". They'd sooner vote for Bernie Sanders.
Anyone who trades anything…
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Anyone who trades anything in during the first year of ownership is going to get screwed on depreciation, in fact if you trade on the first 2 or 3 you are taking the brunt of it .
I have owned many trucks and…
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I have owned many trucks and this is by far the best. I would strongly prefer analog control inputs rather than touch screen but you can't argue with the performance. I hope Tesla will release the promised $40K model as well as a three row SUV built on the same chassis as the Cybertruck. Aluminum has many desirable qualities but steel would be a better choice for the structure.