Unlike 99% of you, I'm not posting based on theory and feelings. I literally put my money on the table on this topic after doing real world math on my real world many years experience.
Situation:
Had older model 3. Battery had run down a lot despite taking good care of it. Blue book value of car 15-17k. Was offered 17k by non-Tesla dealer. Took it. Battery warranty is 8 years, not extendable. Cost for new battery after that typically 15k but could be higher. Meaning that after 8 years is a risk every day that car might suddenly have zero or even negative value after a battery failure. There are plenty of people posting their tales of battery woes online. It's a real possibility.
Bought replacement. Exact same everything but different color. 47k after tax credit, etc. Has base range about 16% higher than first car when new. Is way quieter on the highway. Has front camera which older one didn't. Not sure if I like that they went 100% camera for sensors; tbd. The gear shift as a digital slider is weird but not a big deal. Base warranty renewed so not paying for extended warranty or the first chunk of premium net for now.
So I got almost 8 years out of the first car for 30k. That's about $360 a month (doing simple math here, actual cost of not having the 17k to invest, etc etc etc would bring that up a bit but whatever). Let's call it 400 to account for all that shit. That's cheaper than the lease by a lot and no worries about how many miles I put on it. Buy with credit was a good deal on both cars.
I was hoping a few years ago that solid state batteries would be in production by now but 2030 is a more serious date now imo. If those cars turn out to be dramatically better and not outrageously priced then I'd swap this one for a solid state version after the 5-6 years or so. We'll see.
In comparison and why I also own an ICE:
My ice was msrp 106k but I shopped the hell out of it and got one from a tiny desperate dealer in another state for 78k. It's a year older than the first model 3 I had so these are old numbers from back then. Current bluebook is 70k or so. The most expensive repair would be a full transmission replacement or similar major surgery for about 6-8k. Let's call it 8k because my local mechanic is a rip off joint. There's no guarantee I'll ever need a new transmission unlike my Tesla battery which is guaranteed to continue to decline in range even if it doesn't completely fry one day. Tesla catastrophe = zero value car. ICE catastrophe = about 12% of car value. And my ice still has the same almost 440 mile range and 2-4 minute fill up anywhere I go that my model 3 doesn't have, never had, and never can have. I can keep the ice for the rest of my life if I take care of it. Model 3 is a throw away.
I use the Tesla for almost all short and mid range trips. I charge it at home in the garage off solar as needed. I have driven it up and down and all around the state a few times but it's a shitty experience having to be aware of range, next charger location which are often in miserable places on the highway, etc. I drive the ice 5 days a week to pick up my kid from school, visit local family, etc but mostly it's a garage princess. It gets about 3k miles a year on average. But when I occasionally need to cross the state there's no way in Hell I'm taking the Tesla. It's such a pita for that. I load up the ice, check fuel and stop for 2-4 minutes if I'm below half a tank and go, I still have plenty of gas on arrival and fuel up once more at that end for the trip back, park in the garage and still have rough gas to make several local trips before range is a concern. Current EV are just not like that.
Sure, some people will post, "But charge time doesn't matter for 99% of people because my bladder is so tiny and I have bladder control issues". I'm sorry some folks haven't taken care of their medical issues and can't go 3+ hours without a long stop. I'm not sure why they need 30 minutes in the bathroom anyway. The 99% of us who don't need a 30 minute bathroom stop every 2-3 hours like knowing they can drive through without being forced to stop but still can stop if they feel like it. The car's technical limitations don't require a long stop.
I love my model 3. That's why I got a second one without even sitting in the new one. Literally had no idea what features changed, what it looked like inside, etc. It fulfills the short/mid range transport role perfectly at a fair price.
But my ICE can do things the model 3 simply can't. It's longer range, faster refuel. More refuel options everywhere. Way more fun to drive. More comfortable. Has retained far more bluebook value. And doesn't have an 8 year then you're fucked potential like the 3 has with the battery.
Each vehicle is perfectly fit to purpose and has a reason to exist which the other simply can not fulfill.
Even without the tax credit I would've got rid of the 3 by the 8 year mark. Battery replacement cost is just too high and if anyone is going to have a problem, it'll be me. I simply don't have good random event car luck. YMMV.
Would I buy a cheap ass Chinese EV? No. They don't build their battery packs safely, don't have US standard safety and design features, and I see no reason to support their textbook illegal price dumping tactics. If I needed a cheap car I'd buy a beater for a few K from an individual and run it into the ground. Buying a full priced shitty low end car of any type makes no sense. Buy a beater or buy a real car. Note I didn't say low priced cars are bad. There are good low priced new cars but they're not made in China. Go do your own research into how companies like BYD build their battery packs compared to Western EV; you wouldn't buy one, either, once you know.