The latest issue of Auto Express has a review vs the Polestar 2 long range and the Bmw i4 edrive 40. The M3 LR steering and handling are criticised leading to the conclusion that the Bmw is the winner. I may be biased but really! ? The M3 has a lower list price, better residuals, higher efficiency, is (much) faster, better warranty and the trump card of the charging network. What gives?
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Auto express M3 long range review. [thread]
- Thread starter Chemist
- Start date
Tesla don't advertise.. That makes them fair game as there's no risk criticising them.
Ignore that rubbish. AE don’t get a penny from Tesla. Unlike most manufacturers.
the i4 40 is getting some good reviews. probably charges pretty flat to high states of charge like the etron so that can mitigate range and efficiency to some degree (although relies on having a fast enough rapid nearby). Both it and the polestar are good options.
was put off the i4 due to the original list price. They’ve nudged that down to roughly simlar to the LR + 19” alloys (£51k) and if that had come with the spec you expect these days I might have looked further at it. But so many basic things like electric seats are expensive options. Do you really want to pay £50k+ and be pumping that stupid handle up and down every time you get in after your wife has been in it?
Active cruise and lane keep assist should be standard at that price point too - pano roof I can live without but it has the tech for cruise/lane keep from its built-in safety monitoring so why lock it behind a cost option?
was put off the i4 due to the original list price. They’ve nudged that down to roughly simlar to the LR + 19” alloys (£51k) and if that had come with the spec you expect these days I might have looked further at it. But so many basic things like electric seats are expensive options. Do you really want to pay £50k+ and be pumping that stupid handle up and down every time you get in after your wife has been in it?
Active cruise and lane keep assist should be standard at that price point too - pano roof I can live without but it has the tech for cruise/lane keep from its built-in safety monitoring so why lock it behind a cost option?
i4 has terrible cold gating problem, even to the point that polestar 2 always comes out on top for charging speed. The last few videos from Tesla Bjorn highlights this. i4 even has the bump for the exhaust, so apart from the new dash and synthetic sound there isn't really anything clever from BMW.
Autoexpress, autocar and everything from that media group has hardly ever criticized any German cars. Few years ago many had criticized the stiff suspension of BMW 3 Series but not these guys!
I've registered with my local BMW dealer to test drive an i4 M50.
I'm expecting a filling rattling ride.
I'll let everyone know what I think.
I've had 2 modern BMWs, 320 Touring M Sport X Drive and a M140i. Both had a ride not dis-similar to the AMG C63. All went within 2 years, I couldn't take the ride and the tyre noise.
The Morgan, on 19" wheels and 35 profile tyres has a far,far better ride.
But not round the dreaded green hell... 8 min 39.
The AMG C63 is 7 min 44.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance is similar.
Go figure.
I'm expecting a filling rattling ride.
I'll let everyone know what I think.
I've had 2 modern BMWs, 320 Touring M Sport X Drive and a M140i. Both had a ride not dis-similar to the AMG C63. All went within 2 years, I couldn't take the ride and the tyre noise.
The Morgan, on 19" wheels and 35 profile tyres has a far,far better ride.
But not round the dreaded green hell... 8 min 39.
The AMG C63 is 7 min 44.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance is similar.
Go figure.
Lord Farquad
2022 MYLR W/B/20s/Tow bar. Previously 2021 M3SR+
I for one am pleased that the motoring press are publishing stories suggesting the i4, Kia EV6 etc are Tesla beating…..
I love my M3 and honestly think it’s better.
But if everyone buys one, they’ll lose some of that exclusivity magic.
So let’s encourage everyone into other cars then sit back, feeling smug and knowing that we’re in “the daddy”!
I love my M3 and honestly think it’s better.
But if everyone buys one, they’ll lose some of that exclusivity magic.
So let’s encourage everyone into other cars then sit back, feeling smug and knowing that we’re in “the daddy”!
The M3 looks a bit like Mondeo but the desirability, performance and value for money the M3 is way better than a Mondeo.
Lord Farquad
2022 MYLR W/B/20s/Tow bar. Previously 2021 M3SR+
Perhaps the BMW 3 series is a better analogy.
It presented a unique blend of performance, handling, desirability and image (once, a long time ago).
Good to see more EVs in the same category and price point. All new cars will have their own advantages and faults so it is for us to try them out and see what we like. There is no such thing as a perfect car.
What made me consider the Model 3 and eventually go for it was the minimalism. It feels different. Sure other EVs drove well. We've got a Corsa-E and we love it. It drives great and performance in that is more than enough. But me being 6'5 leaves no room for the passenger behind me. M3 has good amount of space and the RWD will suffice in range and performance. But Hyundai, Kia and BMW felt like any other car I've had in the past, with their normal levers and buttons and rotary climate and volume selectors. They might be useful and practical but a bit dull.
What made me consider the Model 3 and eventually go for it was the minimalism. It feels different. Sure other EVs drove well. We've got a Corsa-E and we love it. It drives great and performance in that is more than enough. But me being 6'5 leaves no room for the passenger behind me. M3 has good amount of space and the RWD will suffice in range and performance. But Hyundai, Kia and BMW felt like any other car I've had in the past, with their normal levers and buttons and rotary climate and volume selectors. They might be useful and practical but a bit dull.
Let’s be real, the i4 is a good car, a really good car in fact. It’s a very different take on a car to the model 3 and I think that is a good thing. The model 3 really isn’t for everyone.
That said I don’t think any Model 3 owners would be upset if they ended up in one for what ever reason. Hopefully it will spur Tesla on to improve the bits of the Model 3 which are not as good as the i4.
The main downsides to the i4 to me is it’s price, if you get a bit lost in the options sheet you can end up spending a serious amount of money and a lot more than a Model 3.
That said I don’t think any Model 3 owners would be upset if they ended up in one for what ever reason. Hopefully it will spur Tesla on to improve the bits of the Model 3 which are not as good as the i4.
The main downsides to the i4 to me is it’s price, if you get a bit lost in the options sheet you can end up spending a serious amount of money and a lot more than a Model 3.
Car reviews aren't about practicality of actually living with a car, they are solely about the talking points that the press office give the reviewers to sound like they know something. I think this is poor as with EVs as the practicality of the navigation planning and estimation are very important until there is some universal way to feed state of charge to mobile apps over CarPlay.
It is amazing how many different types of cars there are on the roads, people make all kinds of different decisions about what cars they buy. For every car you see there's a person inside that specifically chose that above many others, including the really shocking Jeeps, Souls etc.
I'm glad BMW have a reasonable EV saloon, I know plenty of colleagues that will only ever buy BMW so it's necessary. I don't think I'm missing out on anything though. One thing I've not seen reviewers cover is what exactly is under that massive bonnet?
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