So I collected my MIC SR+ from Bham NEC on Friday and spent my first weekend with our new M3 so wanted to document some takeaways as I always found the personal experience useful when I was debating the purchase.
First, some background... I have previously ordered a M3 Performance (roughly 9 months ago) which I ended up rejecting at delivery due to a myriad of reasons. That entire ordeal was documented here if anyone cares to read! Needless to say, the entire episode really put me off Tesla for a good 6 months, but the recent M3 refresh coupled with the better build quality reports of the MIC version had me back in the fold and I placed an order in early May.
I've split my thoughts into 3 sections: The Good, The Meh and The "WTF?"
There's also an overall summary (TLDR) at the end where I've also included some finder details on why I went for the SR+ when my previous order was a P etc
The Good
+ Collection experience
My nearest collection centre is Birmingham, but recently, Tesla provides an option to collect from either Tesla in Small Heath or Bham NEC. I opted for the latter as I'm superstitious and didn't want a repeat of my last experience! I have to say, this experience was far more in line with the early Model 3 collection videos... lots of Tesla staff, eager to meet and greet with hundreds of brand new M3s all lined up in a marquee. It felt far more "special" than when I "collected" 9 months ago at Bham Small Heath where the car was just parked between 2 customer trade-ins and there was 1 employee tending to several customers.
Extra bonus, the M3P that Tesla UK has designed for UK Police was on display in the waiting area, along with the M3 chassis (ie, a Model 3 without the body) so that was a nice touch and something to get you excited while waiting for your car.
+ Panel Gaps and Paintwork
Night and day difference on the paintwork compared to my previous rejected order... I went for Black again, but this time the paint coverage was consistent and just appeared better in every way. Anyone who read my previous experience will know there were entire sections of my previous order that weren't even painted (under the Frunk hood, in between the doors etc)
Panel gaps were also much, much better. I would still argue they are not up to the standard of Audi/BMW etc, but they were all consistent and everything lined up (again, unlike my previous order).
+ Joy of Driving
it's just a pleasure to drive! It's hard to explain, but it has a calming quality which I just don't get from other cars - maybe it's the one-pedal driving, maybe it's no engine rumble/vibration, but it's just a lovely calm place to be. In terms of driving dynamics, it's no better/worse than my Audi, yet it's a completely different type of drive.
+ It's Fast
This might be the SR+ bit it's no slouch. Yes, you're not going to get the initial kick of a LR/P from a standing start, but setting off normally to about 25mph and then flooring it still gives you that intense roller coaster thrill! It's plenty fast enough for instant overtaking and impressing your passengers
(please drive responsibly!)
+ Floor Mats!
A little thing, but it seems all the MIC SR+ cars come equipped with Floor mats, so that's a nice bonus!
The "Meh"
~ The one issue...
The one thing that I didn't even notice but one of the employees pointed out, was the rubber seal that runs all the way around the rear glass panel was "pinched" on the left-hand side so when you looked into the panel gap between the boot lid and the glass panel, you can see the boot arm. I was advised this is a common issue on the MIC cars and looking at a few of the others, they also had the same "pinched" seal. 2 of the employees advised it doesn't affect anything as any rainwater that runs into that gap makes it way out through the water drains (which is true, because when you open the boot lid, you can follow any water droplets running around and dripping off the end) - still, it begs the question, why did Tesla include a seal if it doesn't "make a difference"
The "solution" offered was to book a service call and have the entire back panel removed, the seal realigned, and then the glass panel re-affixed. This sounds (to me anyway) a massive job for something the staff all felt was "normal" and was the only time during the collection process where I felt like I'd made a mistake re-ordering.
~ Tesla Customer Service
After reporting the seal issue to one of the Tesla staff, I was passed from one member of the team to another (4 in all) and it all felt so disorganised. The last team member advised he was going to log a service call "right now" and that I would receive a call from the service manager to book the car in. This is something I was completely wanting to avoid (seriously, who wants to pick up a brand new car and then immediately take it into a service garage to have the entire back glass roof removed?!) The Service appointment showed up immediately on my App as "Pending" so I assumed it would all be in hand. However, once I had signed for the car, I received a message saying "Good News, your car has been serviced and is ready for collection"... sigh.
I raised this with the Tesla employees before driving away and they assured me I would get a call the same day... but of course, I didn't. So, nothing new with the customer service side things... it's all very haphazard.
On the point about the seal, I'm curious if others have had this issue and if they opted to get it fixed? I'm weighing up whether the removal of the back glass panel is likely to cause more issues than leaving things as they are.
~ SR+ Sound System
I was worried about the sound system in the SR+ after only ever previously having experienced the LR/P variants with the superior audio setup. I would describe the SR+ sound system as "adequate". It's not bad by any means, but you can tell it's "compromised" for lack of a better phrase. Do I wish it was better?- YES! Is it worth the extra £8k if you don't need a LR or P? - NO! So, overall, it's fine.. even very good on certain tracks (funnily enough it sounded better on music that has deep bass).
~ Autopilot
In my very brief experience using Autopilot... it's great on Motorways, so-so on A/B Roads and downright bad on streets (Yes, I know it's not designed to be used on the streets, but c'mon, every M3 owner has tried!). So I guess, it's working as intended (ie. Motorways) but what I find curious about it is why it doesn't (a) avoid parked cars rather than veering into them - I mean, it can see them via camera and detect them via sensors, but the car will still aim straight for them! and (b) why doesn't slow down for tighter corners? Again, it has the map data from Google, it's aware of its own speed, so why can't it calculate it should slow down ~5mph to take a corner? I guess those are the goodies they're saving for FSD...
~ Collection SoC
A day before my collection, I received a call from Tesla to confirm my appointment (never got this call on my previous order) - they also confirmed that the Car would have a minimum of 40% charge. However, upon collection, it was sitting at 24%... enough to get me home with 2% remaining or to a supercharger with 10% remaining... either way, it felt a little "anxiety-inducing" for a first drive home in a new electric car! I was told rather bluntly there were no chargers on sight and that I actually had more charge than most (Yeah, right...).
On the plus, I made it to the supercharger with 31 miles remaining and it took 30 mins to charge to a range of 207 miles (This was not a 100% charge, I didn't switch to look at the battery % but from memory, it was around 84%). Charging speed never went over 90kW, and began to taper off to 49kW as it approached 200miles. There were quite a few other M3s charging, but I wasn't sharing a stall with anyone. Overall, in line with expectations.
The "WTF?"
- Loud humming/buzzing
Before I'd even driven the car out of the collection centre, I noticed a loud humming/buzzing coming from the dash (from behind the screen, but further back) - Because I had already set the Tesla Supercharger as my destination, Tesla staff advised the car was pre-conditioning the battery. Makes sense so thought nothing of it. However, even after charging at the supercharger, it made this very noticeable whine/humming for about a mile, before it stopped (It wasn't the fans, as I turned them off to make sure)
I've also noticed it makes this noise after a short drive and you park up - reading online, a lot of people state it's normal and most likely the heat pump doing its thing? Would be useful to get others insight/feedback on this? It does eventually stop, so I think it's likely normal, but you never know with Tesla...
- Brake "Clunk" incident
Again, in typical Tesla fashion, on my first driving showing off the car to my wife, as we came to a stop, a massive "clunk" was heard underneath us as the car braked. Then, for the next couple of stops, every time I let off the accelerator, the brake would make a very loud clunk and the car would jerk a bit as it began to brake - it was almost as if the brake pedal was sticking. We came to a complete stop at the lights and it rectified itself and hasn't happened since (although I've really only taken very short journeys since).
- UMC Tripping fuse board
I made a separate post about this, but the UMC (3 pin charger) keeps tripping our fuse board - have confirmed it working at my neighbours and need to try some of the tips other owners have kindly provided to rule out any issues. However, one other question I have is that when the UMC was charging from my neighbours 3-pin, the UMC would make a "clicking" sound every minute or so... is this normal? (Just another WTF for me...)
- Boot lid memory height
I've set the automated boot lid height to its maximum a few times and held down the button to commit to memory, but it just seems to stop quite a few inches short every time. Not sure if that's the maximum the automated arm can open to, or if I need to log a service call, but it's a very minor WTF niggle.
Summary / TLDR
So, after my previous bad experience, am I glad I purchased it? Well, overall, yes - it's a beautiful looking car and a real pleasure to drive. I opted for Black with the Sport Wheels and it looks stunning, but I am nervous about all the scratches black is going to pick up so now I'm scared to leave it parked anywhere!
I knew I wanted my next car to be an EV and even after considering every other option (eTron, Polestar, EQC etc) there was just always something about Tesla that drew me back. The other EVs still try to mimic the look and feel of a conventional ICE car, which is not what I want - I want to feel like I'm driving the future, and that's exactly what Tesla feels like.
However, there is a downside to "driving the future" and that is that Tesla, despite all the recent improvements and refreshes, is still very early in its manufacturing/QA/Servicing infrastructure; As good as the M3 is, I would still personally consider it a "beta" product. I've only driven it for a weekend, on short journeys, but I'm left with an impression it's temperamental and something could happen at any moment! I'm going to put this down to anxiety caused by previous experience and also the few WTF niggles I've experienced in very early ownership. I'm sure this feeling will dissipate over time, but for the moment, I feel excitement, joy and trepidation in equal amounts. Something to keep in mind if you're an anxious person like I am!
In regard to the MIC differences, I would agree that they feel much better put together than the Fremont variants. Panel gaps were pretty non-existent and the paint coverage and quality in particular was night and day different. Big improvement!
So, why did I get the SR+ instead of ordering the P again (or even the LR)? Well, to be honest, after making the decision to give Tesla another chance, I didn't want to do it with their dearest version. I simply felt more comfortable buying the SR+ where I can learn to "live with a Model 3/EV" at a lower entry price where 95% of the time, the drive, interior, exterior etc was identical to the more expensive models. I don't actually need AWD, or a 0-60 in 3.2 seconds, and I still work mostly from home so the LR was also more range than I needed. I'm actually *really* glad I opted for the SR+ plus I have the benefit of the LFP battery which maintains power at a low SoC so technically I'm faster than a P model if we're both at 10% charge
If you're on the fence still, I hope my feedback helps you with your decision either way. The SR+ is more than capable enough so don't overlook it when deciding! The real test for me will be once I can plan some longer trips and also just using the car more in daily life (shopping trips etc) - it has only been 2-3 days so I'll update my thoughts in a few weeks.
First, some background... I have previously ordered a M3 Performance (roughly 9 months ago) which I ended up rejecting at delivery due to a myriad of reasons. That entire ordeal was documented here if anyone cares to read! Needless to say, the entire episode really put me off Tesla for a good 6 months, but the recent M3 refresh coupled with the better build quality reports of the MIC version had me back in the fold and I placed an order in early May.
I've split my thoughts into 3 sections: The Good, The Meh and The "WTF?"
There's also an overall summary (TLDR) at the end where I've also included some finder details on why I went for the SR+ when my previous order was a P etcThe Good
+ Collection experience
My nearest collection centre is Birmingham, but recently, Tesla provides an option to collect from either Tesla in Small Heath or Bham NEC. I opted for the latter as I'm superstitious and didn't want a repeat of my last experience! I have to say, this experience was far more in line with the early Model 3 collection videos... lots of Tesla staff, eager to meet and greet with hundreds of brand new M3s all lined up in a marquee. It felt far more "special" than when I "collected" 9 months ago at Bham Small Heath where the car was just parked between 2 customer trade-ins and there was 1 employee tending to several customers.
Extra bonus, the M3P that Tesla UK has designed for UK Police was on display in the waiting area, along with the M3 chassis (ie, a Model 3 without the body) so that was a nice touch and something to get you excited while waiting for your car.
+ Panel Gaps and Paintwork
Night and day difference on the paintwork compared to my previous rejected order... I went for Black again, but this time the paint coverage was consistent and just appeared better in every way. Anyone who read my previous experience will know there were entire sections of my previous order that weren't even painted (under the Frunk hood, in between the doors etc)
Panel gaps were also much, much better. I would still argue they are not up to the standard of Audi/BMW etc, but they were all consistent and everything lined up (again, unlike my previous order).
+ Joy of Driving
it's just a pleasure to drive! It's hard to explain, but it has a calming quality which I just don't get from other cars - maybe it's the one-pedal driving, maybe it's no engine rumble/vibration, but it's just a lovely calm place to be. In terms of driving dynamics, it's no better/worse than my Audi, yet it's a completely different type of drive.
+ It's Fast
This might be the SR+ bit it's no slouch. Yes, you're not going to get the initial kick of a LR/P from a standing start, but setting off normally to about 25mph and then flooring it still gives you that intense roller coaster thrill! It's plenty fast enough for instant overtaking and impressing your passengers
(please drive responsibly!)+ Floor Mats!
A little thing, but it seems all the MIC SR+ cars come equipped with Floor mats, so that's a nice bonus!
The "Meh"
~ The one issue...
The one thing that I didn't even notice but one of the employees pointed out, was the rubber seal that runs all the way around the rear glass panel was "pinched" on the left-hand side so when you looked into the panel gap between the boot lid and the glass panel, you can see the boot arm. I was advised this is a common issue on the MIC cars and looking at a few of the others, they also had the same "pinched" seal. 2 of the employees advised it doesn't affect anything as any rainwater that runs into that gap makes it way out through the water drains (which is true, because when you open the boot lid, you can follow any water droplets running around and dripping off the end) - still, it begs the question, why did Tesla include a seal if it doesn't "make a difference"
The "solution" offered was to book a service call and have the entire back panel removed, the seal realigned, and then the glass panel re-affixed. This sounds (to me anyway) a massive job for something the staff all felt was "normal" and was the only time during the collection process where I felt like I'd made a mistake re-ordering.
~ Tesla Customer Service
After reporting the seal issue to one of the Tesla staff, I was passed from one member of the team to another (4 in all) and it all felt so disorganised. The last team member advised he was going to log a service call "right now" and that I would receive a call from the service manager to book the car in. This is something I was completely wanting to avoid (seriously, who wants to pick up a brand new car and then immediately take it into a service garage to have the entire back glass roof removed?!) The Service appointment showed up immediately on my App as "Pending" so I assumed it would all be in hand. However, once I had signed for the car, I received a message saying "Good News, your car has been serviced and is ready for collection"... sigh.
I raised this with the Tesla employees before driving away and they assured me I would get a call the same day... but of course, I didn't. So, nothing new with the customer service side things... it's all very haphazard.
On the point about the seal, I'm curious if others have had this issue and if they opted to get it fixed? I'm weighing up whether the removal of the back glass panel is likely to cause more issues than leaving things as they are.
~ SR+ Sound System
I was worried about the sound system in the SR+ after only ever previously having experienced the LR/P variants with the superior audio setup. I would describe the SR+ sound system as "adequate". It's not bad by any means, but you can tell it's "compromised" for lack of a better phrase. Do I wish it was better?- YES! Is it worth the extra £8k if you don't need a LR or P? - NO! So, overall, it's fine.. even very good on certain tracks (funnily enough it sounded better on music that has deep bass).
~ Autopilot
In my very brief experience using Autopilot... it's great on Motorways, so-so on A/B Roads and downright bad on streets (Yes, I know it's not designed to be used on the streets, but c'mon, every M3 owner has tried!). So I guess, it's working as intended (ie. Motorways) but what I find curious about it is why it doesn't (a) avoid parked cars rather than veering into them - I mean, it can see them via camera and detect them via sensors, but the car will still aim straight for them! and (b) why doesn't slow down for tighter corners? Again, it has the map data from Google, it's aware of its own speed, so why can't it calculate it should slow down ~5mph to take a corner? I guess those are the goodies they're saving for FSD...
~ Collection SoC
A day before my collection, I received a call from Tesla to confirm my appointment (never got this call on my previous order) - they also confirmed that the Car would have a minimum of 40% charge. However, upon collection, it was sitting at 24%... enough to get me home with 2% remaining or to a supercharger with 10% remaining... either way, it felt a little "anxiety-inducing" for a first drive home in a new electric car! I was told rather bluntly there were no chargers on sight and that I actually had more charge than most (Yeah, right...).
On the plus, I made it to the supercharger with 31 miles remaining and it took 30 mins to charge to a range of 207 miles (This was not a 100% charge, I didn't switch to look at the battery % but from memory, it was around 84%). Charging speed never went over 90kW, and began to taper off to 49kW as it approached 200miles. There were quite a few other M3s charging, but I wasn't sharing a stall with anyone. Overall, in line with expectations.
The "WTF?"
- Loud humming/buzzing
Before I'd even driven the car out of the collection centre, I noticed a loud humming/buzzing coming from the dash (from behind the screen, but further back) - Because I had already set the Tesla Supercharger as my destination, Tesla staff advised the car was pre-conditioning the battery. Makes sense so thought nothing of it. However, even after charging at the supercharger, it made this very noticeable whine/humming for about a mile, before it stopped (It wasn't the fans, as I turned them off to make sure)
I've also noticed it makes this noise after a short drive and you park up - reading online, a lot of people state it's normal and most likely the heat pump doing its thing? Would be useful to get others insight/feedback on this? It does eventually stop, so I think it's likely normal, but you never know with Tesla...
- Brake "Clunk" incident
Again, in typical Tesla fashion, on my first driving showing off the car to my wife, as we came to a stop, a massive "clunk" was heard underneath us as the car braked. Then, for the next couple of stops, every time I let off the accelerator, the brake would make a very loud clunk and the car would jerk a bit as it began to brake - it was almost as if the brake pedal was sticking. We came to a complete stop at the lights and it rectified itself and hasn't happened since (although I've really only taken very short journeys since).
- UMC Tripping fuse board
I made a separate post about this, but the UMC (3 pin charger) keeps tripping our fuse board - have confirmed it working at my neighbours and need to try some of the tips other owners have kindly provided to rule out any issues. However, one other question I have is that when the UMC was charging from my neighbours 3-pin, the UMC would make a "clicking" sound every minute or so... is this normal? (Just another WTF for me...)
- Boot lid memory height
I've set the automated boot lid height to its maximum a few times and held down the button to commit to memory, but it just seems to stop quite a few inches short every time. Not sure if that's the maximum the automated arm can open to, or if I need to log a service call, but it's a very minor WTF niggle.
Summary / TLDR
So, after my previous bad experience, am I glad I purchased it? Well, overall, yes - it's a beautiful looking car and a real pleasure to drive. I opted for Black with the Sport Wheels and it looks stunning, but I am nervous about all the scratches black is going to pick up so now I'm scared to leave it parked anywhere!
I knew I wanted my next car to be an EV and even after considering every other option (eTron, Polestar, EQC etc) there was just always something about Tesla that drew me back. The other EVs still try to mimic the look and feel of a conventional ICE car, which is not what I want - I want to feel like I'm driving the future, and that's exactly what Tesla feels like.
However, there is a downside to "driving the future" and that is that Tesla, despite all the recent improvements and refreshes, is still very early in its manufacturing/QA/Servicing infrastructure; As good as the M3 is, I would still personally consider it a "beta" product. I've only driven it for a weekend, on short journeys, but I'm left with an impression it's temperamental and something could happen at any moment! I'm going to put this down to anxiety caused by previous experience and also the few WTF niggles I've experienced in very early ownership. I'm sure this feeling will dissipate over time, but for the moment, I feel excitement, joy and trepidation in equal amounts. Something to keep in mind if you're an anxious person like I am!
In regard to the MIC differences, I would agree that they feel much better put together than the Fremont variants. Panel gaps were pretty non-existent and the paint coverage and quality in particular was night and day different. Big improvement!
So, why did I get the SR+ instead of ordering the P again (or even the LR)? Well, to be honest, after making the decision to give Tesla another chance, I didn't want to do it with their dearest version. I simply felt more comfortable buying the SR+ where I can learn to "live with a Model 3/EV" at a lower entry price where 95% of the time, the drive, interior, exterior etc was identical to the more expensive models. I don't actually need AWD, or a 0-60 in 3.2 seconds, and I still work mostly from home so the LR was also more range than I needed. I'm actually *really* glad I opted for the SR+ plus I have the benefit of the LFP battery which maintains power at a low SoC so technically I'm faster than a P model if we're both at 10% charge
If you're on the fence still, I hope my feedback helps you with your decision either way. The SR+ is more than capable enough so don't overlook it when deciding! The real test for me will be once I can plan some longer trips and also just using the car more in daily life (shopping trips etc) - it has only been 2-3 days so I'll update my thoughts in a few weeks.
