BMW F80 M3 v Model 3 Performance--From Someone that Owns Both

[John Beans]

The Tesla’s phone key thing is great, as long as it works, which for me it does, but for others in my house it doesn’t reliably, and that’s the source of immense frustration. Why can’t this car just have a normal key?

The phone key works for all 5 of our family members, but the boys legit think it's cool they can just pull out their wallet and slap it on the car to unlock it. Power wallet!

 

[Mdep123]

View attachment 449793


I've put a few miles now on my new-to-me 2016 F80 BMW M3, including a 400 mile trip, and have had my Model 3 for nearly a year--so I thought I'd write down some thoughts.

The Cars:

2016 BMW M3 6M, M Adaptive suspension, 425 hp
2018 Tesla Model 3 Performance dual motor, 475ish hp (incl. 5 percent OTA boost at some point)

Exterior:

The BMW is an extrovert's car. I've thought of them as sort of extra, as my kid would say, particularly in the way the rear fenders flare over the back wheels, and in the front bumper that just barely escapes looking like catfish whiskers. But the look of the car has grown on me. The proportions on the M3 are nice, old-school BMW--long hood, relatively upright passenger cabin, L-shaped taillights. It works better than the E90, to my eyes, which I always thought seemed a bit narrow. The details on my car, including a blacked out grille, dark wheels, and a carbon fiber roof, are a nice contrast to the Sakhir Orange paint, which is a dramatic, fun color.

The Tesla is...well, from some angles it's pretty good, especially with 20 inch wheels. There are details you can appreciate, like the multiple curves and angles on the nose that seem far racier than a sedan has any right to have. But from other angles (esp. from the rear), it's just awkward. The proportions are nowhere near as good as the dead-sexy Model S. But it blends in better than the M3, especially because it doesn't make any noise (more on that in a minute).

Interior:

The Tesla gets a lot of *sugar* for it's spare, Spartan interior design, and for materials that some say are sub-par.

But it takes living with the car, and comparing it to something like the BMW, to really appreciate how goddamn good the Tesla is inside.

The lack of instruments in front of you is off-putting at first, but you quickly get used to the panoramic view out the front, which helps you not only in daily driving but also lets you place the car better when you start to drive fast. The center screen has its disadvantages, mostly in the lack of tactile feedback category, but the interface is so clean and intuitive that anyone can get in and make the car work immediately. The Tesla also has noticeably more space inside than the BMW, particularly for cargo--it has a bigger trunk AND a frunk AND a compartment below the trunk. Taking two kids and their gear to camp in the Tesla? Easy. Not so much in the BMW.

Notably, the things that people complain about (lack of air vents, lack of buttons, etc) are, for me at least, non-issues. The automatic climate on the Tesla is essentially set it and forget it. The steering wheel buttons control the audio functions I need them to and nothing else. The nav in the Tesla is easy to use because the large touch screen makes entering a destination simple. I do wish there were separate mirror controls, but beyond that? I really have no complaints.

Compared to the Tesla, the BMW feels like you're sitting in a hollowed-out WWII torpedo. The hood bulges up in front of you, forcing you to look around it, and the gauges and instrument panel dominate your field of view. There are buttons all over the place, but they operate in inscrutable ways that requires study to master. iDrive is better than its ever been, but it's still hard to learn, and 9 times out of 10 you'll just not bother using the nav rather than try to wrestle with destination entry. I should note that BMW actually has a nice app that works with the car, and entering nav info on that works well, but the whole setup is far kludgier than the one in the Tesla.

The seats in the BMW seem nicer at first. They're real leather, and firmer than the Tesla's, which are sort of hyperneoprene and squishy. But the BMW's seats are made for someone broader of beam than me, so I kind of rattle around in them, and after 400 miles my ass hurts in a way it doesn't driving the Tesla.

Does the BMW feel nicer inside? I guess--there are certainly more types of materials, and they're probably more expensive. But ultimately, the Tesla gets out of your way, while the BMW demands constant attention.


Driving.

Speaking of driving, what about that?

I'd like to sugarcoat this, but I can't. It's in the driving that the Tesla reveals itself to be the better car. And it's not a close thing. The BMW is near the apex of what an internal combustion engine performance car can be, but the Tesla exists in a different league, a vision of the future, a quantum leap. It's like comparing a P-51 to an Me 262.

Around town, you expect this to be true. With no clutch and instant torque, the Tesla is faster than the BMW everywhere, all the time. It's always ready to go, to jump in front of someone at a light, to nail a gap in traffic, whatever you need. It's "throttle" response is otherworldly, but it also has traction to spare--it digs and GOES, right now, no wheelspin, nothing to worry about.

The BMW requires thought, deliberation--point it straight ahead, and lay on the throttle, and it will go fast, as soon you slip the clutch just right and let the revs build a little and the turbos spool and manage the shift points. Get any of that wrong and even the Kia Forte in the next lane will beat you to 20 or 30 mph, forget about the Tesla.

And the Tesla will do it silently. The BMW's active muffler sounds like its got holes bored through it in sport and sport+. It's a pretty OK sound, though not great, but what it lacks in sonorous character it makes up for in volume. When you go fast in the BMW, people know it. Pedestrians, your passengers, people a few blocks over, everyone. When you go fast in the Tesla, people don't even notice, although your passengers might wonder why they suddenly have whiplash.

OK, so around town the Tesla is the winner. Sure. That makes sense.

But living with the two cars what surprised me is how much better the Tesla is for long-distance travel. The BMW is geared crazy-short. At highway speeds, it's turning 3000 RPM. Great because the turbos are on boost, but terrible for relaxing. The suspension is a bit jittery and overall the car just feels like work to drive at high speeds. Given its size and weight, it's a little surprising just how much of a GT the BMW isn't.

The Tesla, OTOH, doesn't vibrate. It doesn't roar, or boom. It just goes. There's tire and wind noise, of course, but not too much of either, and mostly there's just calm.

It's really remarkable how tired I was today after 400 miles in the BMW; way more than I would have been in the Tesla.

And I will say this, too--people bitch about EV charging, but after you get used to using the Tesla network, going back to getting gas feels like a huge step backward.

Isn't it faster to get gas, you ask? Well, sure--but you have to make two stops if you also need food, which I do on a 200 or 400 mile drive. First you stop for gas, and you stand there while it pumps, and then you drive off to find a place to eat. With the Tesla, you stop, plug in, go get your food, come back, unplug, and you're on your way. It's legitimately better.

Of course, if you're driving more than 400 miles or so, and have to do multiple charging stops, the Tesla might start to feel constraining. But on a 6 hour trip like I did today, it wouldn't have, at all.

And that doesn't even get into the whole buying gas for daily driving thing, which is something you don't realize you hate until you don't have to do it.

The Tesla’s phone key thing is great, as long as it works, which for me it does, but for others in my house it doesn’t reliably, and that’s the source of immense frustration. Why can’t this car just have a normal key?

For the BMW, it has the world’s most sensitive passenger detection weight sensor in the passenger seat—seriously, it’s triggered by things like a sandwich or your phone + glasses case. This would probably also drive you nuts if you regularly carried a bag; you’d have to put it on the floor.

Neither car has much steering feel. The BMW’s wheel is too big, and the Tesla’s is too small. I’d say the Tesla’s steering is better if only because it’s sharper, but driving the Porsche after either is a revelation.

Verdict

I like the BMW. I really do. It's fun to shift your own gears, and you won't find a better manual transmission sedan of recent vintage than this one. And the BMW has sounds and feelings that give their own satisfaction. I'd hate to lose cars like this forever.

But if the question is "which is the better car," the answer isn't hard. It's not remotely close. The Tesla performs all of the functions you're looking for in a performance car better than the BMW, by a lot. Plus it's more practical and easier to live with.

If you could have only one, my recommendation would be: Buy American.

Wow. Great write up. I just early returned my 2018 M3 which I loved for an X3 due to changing family needs. I plan to get a model 3 or Y next year. Your description of the M3 was spot on. Apex predator. Track car that you can street. So right about the 3000 rpm cruising RPM. Was very happily surprised you compared the model 3 as so much better. Now I am looking forward to giving the X3 to my wife and ordering a Tesla.

 

[realyecat]

Great review, shared. BMW M3 is an extrovert’s car, very true, never thought about that.

 

[AdamMacDon]

The key card is suboptimal because when the car asks for it, you have to dig it out of your wallet (or wallet and purse, if you carry one), tap it against the door, and then tap it again against the center console. It's harder to use in that sense than even a traditional metal key, because it requires the extra step of getting it out of your wallet. And when you're trying to wrangle kids and packages into the car, it's just a pain.

For me, the phone works essentially flawlessly. For my wife? It's like 50/50. It got annoying enough that I actually bought two of the optional key fobs, but *they* don't even work all the time.

It's a frustration that seems entirely unnecessary, given that every other car (including the Model S) works flawlessly with a fob.

Pro tip for you and you wife, where you carry your phone has a LOT to do with it. When I used to carry my phone on my left hip, in my pocket, the doors would only unlock for me about half the time. I tried switching it to my right side and it made a world of difference, now the doors only don't unlock when the bluetooth glitches out, then I just do the airplane mode reset and boom, back in business. My theory is that my body actually blocks the bluetooth signals enough that it won't unlock the doors. You want that phone as close as possible to the B-pillar when you press the handle. Try it out and see if it improves her chances. I started testing this theory by literally holding my phone near the B-pillar in my hand while opening, and tried moving it farther away or behind me, and sure enough the door unlocking got more problematic.

It's funny I tend to agree that the biggest downside of the Model 3 is the key system. While it has a huge convenience factor (when it works), the reality is your key system should work 99.99% of the time, but most people I talk to say they get maybe 75-90%, which for a such a simple, critical system is pretty bad. Comparing it to my Dodge Charger I struggle to find advantages for the Charger. I'd say the two things my Charger had over the Tesla was aesthetics (which is subjective, but I much prefer the aggressive look of the 2011-2014 Chargers over the Model 3), but the undeniable advantage was that my Charger's passive keyless entry system never once failed me, and while I had to carry a key fob around with me, it just worked. There was no pulling out your phone to enable and disable airplane mode (Tesla's official suggestion, BTW), or messing around with that. I replaced the fob battery once in the car's life with me, and it cost $2. Not a big deal, and the car warned me about a low battery long before the fob died.

 

[Niroc]

Some wallets have rfid blocker which will inhibit your card. My card in my new wallet wont work either but works for my older wallet. I guess my purchase works!

Just a thought

 

[harlanlimpert]

What a delightful essay. I've coveted an M3 all my life but when it came time to buy one, I worried about the complexity of it all and the potential cost of maintenance and repairs. I've got the long-range, dual motor Model 3 and an absolutely delighted. The driving dynamics are amazing, the acceleration remarkable and the design stunning. Couldn't be happier (though the performance version would have been EVEN better. Just couldn't justify the nearly $10,000 premium.)

 

[ifonul]

I was smiling when reading this, thanks for the post! Let me add my two cents, I think this applies to me too

I have a 2008 BMW M3 (E93) - stick shift, a Model S and a model 3 RWD, non-performance.

I *LOVE* my BMW (the last V8 engine), I love the noise, I love the handling, but the reality is that I drove it maybe 10 times in the past two years, and I'm (very reluctantly) going to probably sell it soon.

Exterior
Yeah, BMW looks better, no contest.

Handling
BMW handling is better than the Model 3, hands down! The Model 3 has its 'electronic nanny mode', which prevents wheel spin and exactly the moment it would start to be fun. Sure, the center of gravity is lower in the Tesla, but it's still a heavy car. The BMW just feels smaller, more in control at all times. I presume the sports suspension on the performance model and track mode would make this less obvious, but I doubt it would rival the feeling of perfect balance you get from the BMW.

Key fob
I agree, for me the phone works fine, but I still need to wake it up sometime, take it out of my pocket to start driving, etc... Key fobs should be standard. a $300 inconvenience for a $40K car, I think you can live with that when BMW has no options under $500.

Interior
BMW is from 08, need I say more? The spartan interior of the Tesla works for me, compared to any other car I've driven - and I've driven *many*.

Driving in general
That's where Tesla shines. In town, it's absolutely a pleasure to drive. All the points in the original post are valid. Instant torque, much less cabin noise, at any speed. There is absolutely no question you are driving the future. This is without even mentioning autopilot. As a car (and not a toy), Tesla is ticking all the checkmarks.
Did I mention SW upgrades? Did I mention you don't have to touch the brakes? Did I mention you don't have to stop and buy gas? (You don't realize how annoying that is before you stop doing it). Did I mention the HUGE storage space (both trunk and frunk). Did I mention no maintenance? Did I mention starting climate control in the morning via Alexa? A navigation system that does not get obsolete the moment you exit the dealership? The fact that you feel much more relaxed on a long trip? The list goes on and on...

Do yourself a favor, buy a Tesla! (just for the pleasure to avoid talking to a dealer, it's worth it! )

It's a much better overall car! I realized I need to sell the BMW when I contemplated which car to take for a ride on Hwy 1, and BMW lost

Oh, one more thing: I want a convertible trim for the Model 3!! Tesla, do you hear me? Not a roadster - or a much cheaper one

 

[PeterK]

Agreed 100%. I'm a very fit/athletic person albeit with a history of low back and knee pain, and I cannot find a comfortable driving position to save my life in the Model 3. I literally spent 2.5 days driving 2,100 miles in a Sprinter van with no pain, no soreness, no issues, yet anything more than 30 minutes in the Tesla and I have significant pain. If longer than an hour, I would call it near excruciating. I miss a proper German or Swedish seat, but I think for me it's more the relationship between the seat and the floor and lack of distance rather than the seat itself in the Tesla. Although I do find the seats to be absurdly soft and overly lumbar boosted which is weird, and I've considered taking it to an upholstery shop to see if they can help me out. Even with the significant discomfort, I still absolutely love the car which means I'm either crazy or the car is just that good!

Sprinter van seating position is upright like a truck, while Model 3 is more like sitting in a go-kart. You might find the Model Y has a higher seating position which would help.

 

[dfwatt]

Verdict

I like the BMW. I really do. It's fun to shift your own gears, and you won't find a better manual transmission sedan of recent vintage than this one. And the BMW has sounds and feelings that give their own satisfaction. I'd hate to lose cars like this forever.

But if the question is "which is the better car," the answer isn't hard. It's not remotely close. The Tesla performs all of the functions you're looking for in a performance car better than the BMW, by a lot. Plus it's more practical and easier to live with.

If you could have only one, my recommendation would be: Buy American.[/QUOTE]

Great write-up and thoughts. I have significantly older point of reference about which I have very similar sentiments – a heavily modified Lexus IS 350, which got a set of extremely stiff coilovers, some Induction and exhaust upgrades, staggered forged Rays alloys with Michelin Super Sports. Never got 0 to 60 below 4.6, but it always seemed pretty quick until I got the Model 3. Now it feels like a absolute slug! And although its handling was not far behind the Model 3 Performance, its ride is just plain punishing, and after installing the MPP coilover kit on the M3, it no longer even feels competitive there. Plus the IS 350 is just so damn noisy! I go back to driving it when i'm down in Florida thinking somehow I'm going to experience a twinge of nostalgia, but instead I just can't wait to get back into the Tesla. It's just that much better.

 

[rainmaker7]

In regards to cabin noise, has anyone seen an objective comparison with a decibel reader? I’m always suspicious because it’s unclear if engine noise is drowning out things the Tesla can’t.

Good point

 

[Colskid]

I have owned many cars over the last 40 years including my current Mercedes SLK 32 AMG. I can say without doubt the M3P Stealth is my favorite. It will be one year next month that I picked it up from the dealership without a clue how to make it move. I cannot count how many rides I have given to friends, family and almost strangers. In every case, they are amazed/shocked/scared at the acceleration as their heads bang against the headrests and glasses perched on top of their heads fly off. The usual comment is how it feels like an amusement park ride. There are so many things I love about the car most of which have been mentioned (I am surprised no one mentioned the fart app). Seriously, I cannot imagine going back to an ICE car after my Tesla.

 

[SO16]

The key card is suboptimal because when the car asks for it, you have to dig it out of your wallet (or wallet and purse, if you carry one), tap it against the door, and then tap it again against the center console. It's harder to use in that sense than even a traditional metal key, because it requires the extra step of getting it out of your wallet. And when you're trying to wrangle kids and packages into the car, it's just a pain.

For me, the phone works essentially flawlessly. For my wife? It's like 50/50. It got annoying enough that I actually bought two of the optional key fobs, but *they* don't even work all the time.

It's a frustration that seems entirely unnecessary, given that every other car (including the Model S) works flawlessly with a fob.

I heard one person took the chip out of the card and put it in a ring. Another person put it in their skin. (I’d do a ring/watch option.)

 

[Colskid]

My phone will occasionally not communicate as I walk up to the Tesla. I usually pull my phone out of my pocket to wake it up and it works. No need to open the app or reset the Bluetooth connection.

 

[GHR1]

With my arthritic knees I also suffered from some pain in the Tesla 3, but raising the seat greatly alleviated the problem so that it is now no worse, and perhaps better, in than in my previous cars.

 

[Grappicker]

Could not agree with you more. I traded in my 2012 Mercedes E550 coup for a model 3 plus. I loved the E550...my favorite car ever. I would however and make the trade again in a heart beat. As my wife says, the Tesla makes the E550 feel like an antique. The E550 beats the Tesla in handling at 75+ mph. It's not even close actually. The Tesla needs to be much tighter in my opinion. However, the E550 is a much more expensive car and would normally compare to the S which I have never driven. Thanks for the detailed post. Really enjoyed it.

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I've put a few miles now on my new-to-me 2016 F80 BMW M3, including a 400 mile trip, and have had my Model 3 for nearly a year--so I thought I'd write down some thoughts.

The Cars:

2016 BMW M3 6M, M Adaptive suspension, 425 hp
2018 Tesla Model 3 Performance dual motor, 475ish hp (incl. 5 percent OTA boost at some point)

Exterior:

The BMW is an extrovert's car. I've thought of them as sort of extra, as my kid would say, particularly in the way the rear fenders flare over the back wheels, and in the front bumper that just barely escapes looking like catfish whiskers. But the look of the car has grown on me. The proportions on the M3 are nice, old-school BMW--long hood, relatively upright passenger cabin, L-shaped taillights. It works better than the E90, to my eyes, which I always thought seemed a bit narrow. The details on my car, including a blacked out grille, dark wheels, and a carbon fiber roof, are a nice contrast to the Sakhir Orange paint, which is a dramatic, fun color.

The Tesla is...well, from some angles it's pretty good, especially with 20 inch wheels. There are details you can appreciate, like the multiple curves and angles on the nose that seem far racier than a sedan has any right to have. But from other angles (esp. from the rear), it's just awkward. The proportions are nowhere near as good as the dead-sexy Model S. But it blends in better than the M3, especially because it doesn't make any noise (more on that in a minute).

Interior:

The Tesla gets a lot of *sugar* for it's spare, Spartan interior design, and for materials that some say are sub-par.

But it takes living with the car, and comparing it to something like the BMW, to really appreciate how goddamn good the Tesla is inside.

The lack of instruments in front of you is off-putting at first, but you quickly get used to the panoramic view out the front, which helps you not only in daily driving but also lets you place the car better when you start to drive fast. The center screen has its disadvantages, mostly in the lack of tactile feedback category, but the interface is so clean and intuitive that anyone can get in and make the car work immediately. The Tesla also has noticeably more space inside than the BMW, particularly for cargo--it has a bigger trunk AND a frunk AND a compartment below the trunk. Taking two kids and their gear to camp in the Tesla? Easy. Not so much in the BMW.

Notably, the things that people complain about (lack of air vents, lack of buttons, etc) are, for me at least, non-issues. The automatic climate on the Tesla is essentially set it and forget it. The steering wheel buttons control the audio functions I need them to and nothing else. The nav in the Tesla is easy to use because the large touch screen makes entering a destination simple. I do wish there were separate mirror controls, but beyond that? I really have no complaints.

Compared to the Tesla, the BMW feels like you're sitting in a hollowed-out WWII torpedo. The hood bulges up in front of you, forcing you to look around it, and the gauges and instrument panel dominate your field of view. There are buttons all over the place, but they operate in inscrutable ways that requires study to master. iDrive is better than its ever been, but it's still hard to learn, and 9 times out of 10 you'll just not bother using the nav rather than try to wrestle with destination entry. I should note that BMW actually has a nice app that works with the car, and entering nav info on that works well, but the whole setup is far kludgier than the one in the Tesla.

The seats in the BMW seem nicer at first. They're real leather, and firmer than the Tesla's, which are sort of hyperneoprene and squishy. But the BMW's seats are made for someone broader of beam than me, so I kind of rattle around in them, and after 400 miles my ass hurts in a way it doesn't driving the Tesla.

Does the BMW feel nicer inside? I guess--there are certainly more types of materials, and they're probably more expensive. But ultimately, the Tesla gets out of your way, while the BMW demands constant attention.


Driving.

Speaking of driving, what about that?

I'd like to sugarcoat this, but I can't. It's in the driving that the Tesla reveals itself to be the better car. And it's not a close thing. The BMW is near the apex of what an internal combustion engine performance car can be, but the Tesla exists in a different league, a vision of the future, a quantum leap. It's like comparing a P-51 to an Me 262.

Around town, you expect this to be true. With no clutch and instant torque, the Tesla is faster than the BMW everywhere, all the time. It's always ready to go, to jump in front of someone at a light, to nail a gap in traffic, whatever you need. It's "throttle" response is otherworldly, but it also has traction to spare--it digs and GOES, right now, no wheelspin, nothing to worry about.

The BMW requires thought, deliberation--point it straight ahead, and lay on the throttle, and it will go fast, as soon you slip the clutch just right and let the revs build a little and the turbos spool and manage the shift points. Get any of that wrong and even the Kia Forte in the next lane will beat you to 20 or 30 mph, forget about the Tesla.

And the Tesla will do it silently. The BMW's active muffler sounds like its got holes bored through it in sport and sport+. It's a pretty OK sound, though not great, but what it lacks in sonorous character it makes up for in volume. When you go fast in the BMW, people know it. Pedestrians, your passengers, people a few blocks over, everyone. When you go fast in the Tesla, people don't even notice, although your passengers might wonder why they suddenly have whiplash.

OK, so around town the Tesla is the winner. Sure. That makes sense.

But living with the two cars what surprised me is how much better the Tesla is for long-distance travel. The BMW is geared crazy-short. At highway speeds, it's turning 3000 RPM. Great because the turbos are on boost, but terrible for relaxing. The suspension is a bit jittery and overall the car just feels like work to drive at high speeds. Given its size and weight, it's a little surprising just how much of a GT the BMW isn't.

The Tesla, OTOH, doesn't vibrate. It doesn't roar, or boom. It just goes. There's tire and wind noise, of course, but not too much of either, and mostly there's just calm.

It's really remarkable how tired I was today after 400 miles in the BMW; way more than I would have been in the Tesla.

And I will say this, too--people bitch about EV charging, but after you get used to using the Tesla network, going back to getting gas feels like a huge step backward.

Isn't it faster to get gas, you ask? Well, sure--but you have to make two stops if you also need food, which I do on a 200 or 400 mile drive. First you stop for gas, and you stand there while it pumps, and then you drive off to find a place to eat. With the Tesla, you stop, plug in, go get your food, come back, unplug, and you're on your way. It's legitimately better.

Of course, if you're driving more than 400 miles or so, and have to do multiple charging stops, the Tesla might start to feel constraining. But on a 6 hour trip like I did today, it wouldn't have, at all.

And that doesn't even get into the whole buying gas for daily driving thing, which is something you don't realize you hate until you don't have to do it.

The Tesla’s phone key thing is great, as long as it works, which for me it does, but for others in my house it doesn’t reliably, and that’s the source of immense frustration. Why can’t this car just have a normal key?

For the BMW, it has the world’s most sensitive passenger detection weight sensor in the passenger seat—seriously, it’s triggered by things like a sandwich or your phone + glasses case. This would probably also drive you nuts if you regularly carried a bag; you’d have to put it on the floor.

Neither car has much steering feel. The BMW’s wheel is too big, and the Tesla’s is too small. I’d say the Tesla’s steering is better if only because it’s sharper, but driving the Porsche after either is a revelation.

Verdict

I like the BMW. I really do. It's fun to shift your own gears, and you won't find a better manual transmission sedan of recent vintage than this one. And the BMW has sounds and feelings that give their own satisfaction. I'd hate to lose cars like this forever.

But if the question is "which is the better car," the answer isn't hard. It's not remotely close. The Tesla performs all of the functions you're looking for in a performance car better than the BMW, by a lot. Plus it's more practical and easier to live with.

If you could have only one, my recommendation would be: Buy American.

 

[Guy V]

My cabin noise test is simple: When the car is at rest, I set the audio volume to something comfortable. Then I start driving. With the BMW I never had to turn the audio volume up for freeway driving. With the Tesla I always have to turn it up on freeway driving.

Hmmmm, my old 5 Series used to automatically increase the volume as you increased speed. Are you sure your BMW isn't doing the same trick?

 

[Guy V]

You might be able to do this. My wife cannot, because her wallet isn't small enough to do what you're suggesting. I suppose she could buy a different wallet? But then she'd have to alter some other part of her lifestyle to accommodate the car.

Her point is that she literally never has never had to think about the key fob in our other cars. With the Tesla, her phone sometimes doesn't work, and the result is a frantic dig through her bag to find the key card and pull it out of her wallet.

Her other point, which I take, is that there are things about the Tesla that really seem designed by tech guys, for tech guys, without any consideration of how other people might (or might not) like them. A phone key with a wallet based backup is fine if your paradigm is "my wallet is always in my pocket and is easy to take out and slap against the car." If your paradigm is "my wallet is zippered up inside my handbag," it makes less sense. Similarly, controls for the side mirrors buried in submenus on the main touch screen make sense if you set the mirrors once and then don't touch them. If you wear heels sometimes and flats other times, and adjust the seat slightly accordingly, it's a bigger pain in the ass. Could you set different profiles for each preferred setting? I guess. Is that easier than just having a mirror switch? No.

I don't understand why the key card can't be kept in whatever convenient place her fob is kept. Just because it's flat doesn't mean it has to be in a wallet.

 

[Jeff Hudson]

pull your wallet out and put the wallet against the car

This is one of the first things I tried. I wish it worked that way but my leather wallet with the key card on the outside never activated the M3P B pillar sensor - not even once. The leather of my wallet is pretty thin as well. I was surprised it didn't work to say the least. I wound up purchasing a key fob and am now consistently pleased the car will unlock and lock on demand.

 

[N5329K]

isn't that called the key card?

No.
Robin

 

[Yankees]

Just my 2 cents here, I had an F30 M-Sport which looked close to the F80 (also in Manual, and Estoril Blue -- a dream of a car, at the time), and I've raced F80s and F82s at the track as part of paid BMW schools (where we were told to abuse the cars as much as possible, there were 20-30 total M3s and M4s on hand, all with carbon ceramic brakes, and if you blew a tire they'd swap you into a standby car). And I went to a P3D+ (and also have a second 3D non-P w/ 19s -- maybe one day software upgraded to P3D?). Until the Tesla, I've driven nothing by manuals all my life, by choice.

I think looks-wise, the F30/F8x series look dated. It pains me to say this, but when I look back at old pictures of my "dream car" I can't help but see how old it looks now. I actually like the looks of the TM3 better, from certain angles I think it looks extremely sexy. Certain colors showcase this better, mine is a matte white (matte PPF), and my wife's is red (also with full non-matte PPF). IMO, viewed perpendicularly, the front end looks exotic, Porsche-esque, possibly McLaren-esque. Franz did a fantastic job. The swooping rear lines also look exotic, Porsche-esque again, but also Ferrari-esque (and, yes, Model S-esque). And I am someone who doesn't particularly like the look of the Model S (and absolutely do not like the way it drives). Now, looks are subjective.

At the track I will take the [M3/M4] BMW any day, spec'd with the carbon ceramic brakes. The car is engineered for that. Outside of the track, I cannot find any way to justify driving anything but a high performance EV. And the only game in town for those of us who care about handling is currently the P/3D. The driving experience is superlative, from a performance driving perspective I do not miss a single thing from any car I've had in the past. Now, for occasional AutoXing, I would also pick the TM3 because of that crazy instant torque.

Living with the car is also the best experience I've ever had -- a small example: we have young children who sometimes fall asleep in the car when coming home from activities midday. We park the car in our garage, close the garage door, and allow them to sleep, in camping mode. Closing the garage door makes it dark, and also protects us from the sun (in August/September) so the AC doesn't have to work so hard. One of my children is asthmatic, as am I, and not having to ever breathe that nasty stuff in is a godsend (when a catalytic converter is cold, the stuff is extra nasty and extra bad for you, asthmatic or not). Pretty much not having to worry about maintenance is also amazing. Not having to go to shady gas stations (which also have fumes that sometimes triggered chest pain for me) is another unexpected favorite part of the EV Life. The list just goes on.

The price is already quite acceptable for someone middle class for a SR+/LR, and I feel that anyone spending the same coin on something else over this is completely missing out and driving inferior, obsolete technology. Outside Formula 1 sounds, loud exhausts seem tacky and make me think something's broken these days -- maybe I'll give a pass to Corvettes, maybe. Sounds like it's gonna blow a gasket, you should have it inspected. Lambos and Ferraris? What is that, a motorcycle engine in there? How much is maintenance on that jalopy, again? Oh, look, you can't even pull on me to 60 unless the planets align and you get launch control right and then maybe we're neck and neck. And then you have to go change your special oil and do a valve alignment. No, thanks -- I specifically do not want any of that ever again.