[greensaloon]

Why did you choose to go with a BMW electric vehicle over something comparable from Tesla? With all the reasons to not buy a Tesla, what stood out to you the most that BMW solves? To those wondering, design is it for me. I find Tesla's to be ugly and even with the new double-coffin, the i4 is the clear winner.

 

[seemebreakthis]

Their looks.... Tesla especially the model 3 looks really ugly to me.

Also the interior - I am not impressed by the way they just attach a flat ipad-like display on a dash that has NOTHING. I haven't driven one, but just by looking at the pictures I lose my appetite already. Where is the integration and style? Not the mention the steering wheel has nothing either. Makes it look like a toy car to be honest.

I am a bit baffled by the lack of a panoramic roof for the i4. Other than that, just from an aesthetic point of view, the i4 is already the clear winner to me.

 

[illian_ger]

Same for me! It looks extremely boring to me. Additionally I don't want to be part of the Tesla "cult".
I don't know why having a "clean, simple" interior is a plus. These are just the result of extreme cost savings, nothing else. (model 3) But people praise it for it's clean looks..fooled by marketing I guess!

 

[Peter]

I'm actually not 100% decided until I see the finance numbers since the M3 is pretty competitive, but for me it comes down to:

Model 3 Performance Pros:

• Better range
• Access to more chargers (Supercharger network)
• Supposedly better acceleration/top speed (not gonna be hitting the top speed anyway)

BMW i4 M50 Pros:

• Way nicer interior and exterior
• Better build quality

One thing I really am not keen on is the interior on the M3, it looks too minimalist for me, but I could probably get used to it. For the i4 the only things I find annoying are that it has no frunk and it has the drive shaft enclosure still running the length of the car.

 

[i4 M50 Rennenprofi]

I test drove a Tesla 3.
1. I didn’t like that you had to look to the center to know your speed instead of straight ahead. I’ve never received a speeding ticket and I’m not about to start because a manufacturer is to cheap to put a speedometer dead center.

2. The turning radius is terrible. I did a U-turn and almost didn’t make it full circle with the Tesla 3. I came way too close to the curb and almost had to put it in reverse. I’m used to the turning radius of Volkswagen cars and drive a 2019 GTI which has a turning radius similar to a Porsche 911. The turning radius of the last gen BMW 4 series Gran Coupe isn’t as good as my GTI, but it’s better than a Tesla 3. Not sure how the BMW i4 M50 will stack up.

3. Forced to use Tesla specific chargers for the Tesla 3. This is a deal breaker. If Tesla goes belly up where would you charge for road trips? Tesla specific chargers also limit where you can travel. Current and future EVs use/will use the CCS Combo and there are many more CCS Combo chargers out there and more are constantly being built. President Biden wants to install electric chargers nationwide as well. He’d want to install CCS Combo chargers because that’s what GM, Ford etc. are using.

4. Poor seat design. Tesla headrests protrude forward too much so if you stomp on the accelerator it’s like you’re punching yourself in the back of the head giving yourself a mini concussion. Not cool. I sat in a new BMW M4 and those headrests don’t protrude too much.

5. Paint and panel gaps. You hear of Tesla 3s with poor paint jobs which need to be repainted and Tesla does not want to cover it. The Tesla 3 I test drove had panel gaps and if it has panel gaps what else aren’t they getting right in manufacturing and quality control? I’ve driven VWs for the past 17 years and from my Corrado, Golf, Passat and GTIs panel gap was never an issue.

6. Tesla is dishonest and misrepresents the actual range of their vehicles. They do 5 EPA cycles whereas every other car manufacturer does 3. So a Porsche Taycan gets better highway range than you would think whereas the Tesla gets a worse range.

From a recent car and driver article they stated that while the Tesla 3 long range has an EPA range of over 300 miles, they’ve never gotten better than 230 miles!

Comparison Test: 2020 Kia Niro EV vs. 2021 Volkswagen ID.4

Which is the better entry-level electric crossover?

www.google.com

 

[Lowe Lindroth]

German quality and driving performance beats rivalling Tesla Model 3. AND design, the i4 has a more sporty look than the TM3, which is everywhere in Oslo where I live.
The Model S is too expensive over here, would consider it if it was 20k USD cheaper.

 

[Nate99]

Both the exterior and interior of the Model 3 is ugly!! Also, from what I heard, the interior quality is very cheap given there isn't much to begin with.

 

[SSi3]

I don’t want to be part of Elon’s nonsense.

 

[greensaloon]

German quality and driving performance beats rivalling Tesla Model 3. AND design, the i4 has a more sporty look than the TM3, which is everywhere in Oslo where I live.
The Model S is too expensive over here, would consider it if it was 20k USD cheaper.

Well said. Tesla really needs to step it up because BMW Group, VW Group and others all very solid plans in place.
Were you considering any other vehicles (German?) before deciding to go with the i4?

 

[greensaloon]

Both the exterior and interior of the Model 3 is ugly!! Also, from what I heard, the interior quality is very cheap given there isn't much to begin with.

Agreed!

That point about ugly design also true for all other Tesla's, especially the Cybertruck. I though the Model 3 was bad enough but nope.

 

[Lowe Lindroth]

Well said. Tesla really needs to step it up because BMW Group, VW Group and others all very solid plans in place.
Were you considering any other vehicles (German?) before deciding to go with the i4?

Not really, they are too expensive for me (the Porsche Taycan and the Audi E-Tron GT). Looked at the Kia EV6 GT, but its not coming here until fall next year. Pretty cool car otherwise, but not the same as a german driving machine! This will be my first BMW, really look forward to driving it!

 

[Rincewind]

My views (from another post I posted today):


I’ve had a Tesla Mode 3 Performance since December 19. I’m moving to the M50 when the lease expires in December. The Tesla is super quick, but here’s my thoughts on it:

1. The chassis can’t quite cash the cheques that the torque writes out
2. The brakes have a rather spongy feel, and are certainly not up to the job. They are also corroding - there are rust circles on the disks, it’s an issue particular to the Performance model apparently.
3. The ride is a bit harsh and not very compliant
4. Overall, it feels like the car has had corners cut and certainly does not have a ‘Prestige’ feel to it
5. The auto wipers are awful. This is because Tesla insist on using the cameras to see the rain. After May software updates, they are still rubbish. There is no manual stalk, apart from a button on it for a single wipe. All on/off/speed functions are done via the touchscreen
6. Traffic aware cruise control. Many of us no longer use it due to phantom braking events, which at the least are annoying and at the worst downright dangerous.
7. Noise levels. This is the one that tips the balance for me. All the above I can put up with, but this one…. Road noise is far too loud at anything over 60 mph, as is wind noise around the top of the front windows. At motorway speeds it becomes really annoying.
8. So, I’m now looking forward to being back in a BMW, and I think the M50 will address pretty much all of the foibles of the Model 3. I hope…
9. I would also add to the above list a front drivers seat that is already showing signs of compression at the back of it (I’m only 12 stone), a couple of poor panel gaps, total lack of secondary door seals and the poor tactile feel of the only two rocker buttons on the steering wheel. Also, on the 20” wheels, if I hit anything larger than about two inches high/deep it feels like the car has been hit by a cannon ball. Turning circle is also poor.

 

[Inception]

I’ve tried to like the Tesla model 3 for a long time. It seemed like the perfect car, more inexpensive, lighter and smaller than the model S. I borrowed a Performance model recently and thought that if I liked it, I would order one

Pros:

• I think it looks good
• Performance rims look great
• Good acceleration
• No options necessary
• Good infotainment system, responsive
• Nice air vents
• Low seating position
• Super chargers are good
• Good overview from drivers position. Easy to drive.

Cons:

• Drives and feels like a cheap and uninspiring car. It brings no joy, even though it accelerate fast. The low cog and reasonable weight gives it excellent grip in the corners, but the suspension feels cheap and doesn’t give you the balance and turn in that makes it fun to drive
• The ride comfort is harsh, yet doesn’t give you what you expect in the corners. It’s leagues a below the model S, which has a pretty great setup
• The seats feel cheap, with no side bolstering, faux leather. Back seats look downright sad. Model S is pretty good, though
• Build quality is still subpar. There are still panel gaps, thin materials, doors and trunk had a cheap feel to them. Putting your feet on the floor behind passenger seat made a clunk sound of a buckling metal plate. And that was the demo car!
• The dealership feels like a supermarket. They don’t know anything, don’t care about you, and can’t help with anything. If there’s something wrong with your car, expect that it will take months to fix. They are not authorized to do anything at all.
• Every third car on the road is a Tesla
• Very Spartan interior. Uninteresting and naked, with the bare minimum. Supposedly for minimalist styling, but I think it’s just about being cheap
• Auto wipers are indeed crap
• All the self driving functions will always be a novelty as long as you can’t rely on them. Not many people I know use them.
• No instrument cluster. It’s just stupid and it doesn’t work
• I don’t understand the obsession with drag strip performance mixed with the obsession of self driving, it hardly seems compatible

Model S fixes a lot of these concerns, but it’s just too expensive here, and also I think it feels physically too big. So that’s out of the question. All the SUV type cars are also disqualified, since I want a sporty car. I was thinking for a long time to buy a 911 or an M3/M4, but I need something that I can use in the winter with a clean conscience. Most owners treat those cars like gems and use a winter beater. So when my friend called me and showed me the configurator for i4 he was right, it did seem like a car that fixes all my gripes with the model 3. Ordered one just a couple of days later.

 

[Rincewind]

@Inception i am completely with you on all these points. I had a model s loaner, it addresses many of the mode 3’s issues, but is too big and expensive for me. The longer I have owned the 3, the more I disliked it. I’m now at the point of using it when I need to, not excited by it at all. I find myself really looking forward to getting my hands on the i4 M50.

 

[DannoBills]

For me it's simple.
1. BMW long term reputation vs. Tesla.
2. Great looks of i4 (and yes I do love the front grill!)
3. A sunroof that opens on the i4. I dont understand why all these EVs are going with glass roof that you can't open?!?

 

[Sportfinn]

Not really, they are too expensive for me (the Porsche Taycan and the Audi E-Tron GT). Looked at the Kia EV6 GT, but its not coming here until fall next year. Pretty cool car otherwise, but not the same as a german driving machine! This will be my first BMW, really look forward to driving it!

Lowe, I had exactly the same short list, and it was very close that I would have selected EV6 GT instead of I4.
Asked also offer from Taycan and E-Tron GT, but those were too expensive for me.

 

[i4 M50 Rennenprofi]

It should be interesting once the press is able to test drive the i4 e40 and i4 M50. We are ALL assuming the chassis will be better on the BMW i4 than the Tesla 3, but it may not be the case. Since the chassis is shared with BMW’s gasoline models it may handle worse.

My fall back plan is an Audi A6 E-tron which supposedly will come out some time in 2022.

I wanted to point out though that the rear wheel drive BMW i4 e40 bests the longest WLTP range of any Tesla model 3. The Tesla 3 long range is dual motor so if you don’t need AWD the i4 e40 is the way to go. In the US the base BMW i4 M50 should be ~$20,000 over a Tesla Model 3 Long Range.

 

[Rincewind]

It should be interesting once the press is able to test drive the i4 e40 and i4 M50. We are ALL assuming the chassis will be better on the BMW i4 than the Tesla 3, but it may not be the case. Since the chassis is shared with BMW’s gasoline models it may handle worse.

Having had a Tesla Model 3 Performance since December 19, I can’t see that the i4 chassis will be worse. The ride quality of the Model 3 is not great, and the chassis can’t quite handle the torque - and the brakes are really not great at all. Air suspension alone at the rear should make it ride better, and that along with (on the M50) adaptable dampers should give it the edge over the Model 3. Reviews I have seen on the i4 quote a smooth compliant ride. But the proof is still out there, we’ll see.

 

[i4 M50 Rennenprofi]

Yes, the chassis of the Tesla 3 sucks. I like to throw my GTI around 90 degree turns. I tried it while test driving a Tesla 3 and had to break it off a quarter of the way through.

We know how the chassis of the current gen 4 and 3 series handle around the Nurburgring.
Still it should be interesting to see how the chassis will handle with the Significant addition of the battery weight. I’m thinking a 2022 Audi A6 E-tron will handle better than both the Tesla 3 and the BMW i4 M50. Only time will tell.

 

[Lord]

You guys said it all.

Tesla was a pioneer for EVs but now there are other major players in the game.
I thought of buying a Tesla only for an ...hour. Then I saw EQC, which were expensive in comparison and has low range but German quality.
Then BMW converted the X3 to an EV and almost everyone praise it despite being based on an "old" fossil car, and I said I will buy this...
...but finally i4 came out (as a pre-release) and I loved its design instantly!
Also has great range and charging speed, lots of tech, and a ...5th door that makes it easier to carry things.

Tesla has some dedicated fans, which is understandable. Musk is the Steve Jobs of EVs.
But I think from the beginning they were "gimmicky" rather than innovative. Like the one screen of model 3 or the ...steering yoke of S plaid.