BMW to Tesla Experiences

[bmah]

Welcome to TMC!

We've been a Tesla/BMW household for 7 years now (me: 2015 Model S + 2022 Model X; my wife: 2019 BMW 530e, previously a bunch of BMW 3 series). So we're pretty accustomed to both brands by now.

We've generally had good experience with both Teslas and BMWs. Tesla servicing was great in 2015 (we got treated like royalty), not as good now (meh), but I've never had any horror stories to tell from servicing. I think with Tesla it depends a lot on where you are (some service centers have a better reputation than others, some service centers have loaners and others don't). The main issue we have with BMW servicing is that the dealership we go to only has one technician who is qualified to work on hybrids or EVs, so sometimes even routine servicing takes an extra day or so. Tesla mobile service is fantastic for minor things...I don't think anybody's mentioned that in this thread.

I think if you read TMC and look for service issues, you'll see a disproportionate number of people who post to complain, but won't hear so much from the people who were generally satisfied. I bet BMW forums are similar.

Both Tesla and BMW have their software quirks. Tesla has OTA updates, which is good for rolling out new features but it also means they can introduce bugs faster. With the BMW you're more or less stuck with whatever software you have until you take it back to the dealer. To my knowledge, we've only had one or two updates, and they both added to time in service. The BMW software still behaves weirdly in a couple aspects (GPS routing, confusing charging behavior).

If you don't mind putting a little more time into this, I'd suggest looking up a Tesla owner's group in your area, and see if there are any meet-ups you could go for. One thing about Tesla owners I've noticed over the years is they _love_ talking about their cars (pros and cons), even if (like myself) they're not really "car people".

Good luck!

Bruce.

 

[jjrandorin]

I've mainly driven entry level Chevys and now have a Model 3, so I can't offer first hand experience. However, I've read *many* posts from historic BMW owners who are happy to now drive a Tesla. Pretty sure @jjrandorin is one of them.

(not moderation content, not representing TMC, TMC moderators, or even "jjrandorin the moderator". Post is an opinion of jjrandorin the regular poster, only.)


This is true, however, my experience is comparing a Model 3 Performance to a BMW 335 or 435. In that comparison, I think tesla does very well. Your typical BMW 5 / 7 series buyer though, its a much different proposition.

I have both a model 3 performance and a model Y performance. I think the model 3 compares really well with BMW 3 / 4 series. My own personal opinion is that the model S does not compete extremely well in the typical BMW 5 series buyer bracket, unless its an M5 buyer who prioritizes speed.

I think the Model Y competes well in the X1 / X3 space, I dont feel it competes well in the X5 / X7 space. I cant afford a model X (and they are too large for us anyway), but my personal opinion is that The model X does not compete extremely well against an X5, unless we are talking about speed and nothing else.

I absolutely would defer to others more familiar with them than I am however, but people in that class of vehicle cost many times want more "luxury" than tesla tends to provide, both from a vehicle appointment level, and a customer service level.

 

[Vzxyz]

I would agree with every post here. Our model S has never stranded us in the middle of the road but I can say that for most other cars I've owned. It does not have any major electric gremlins. Build quality has improved significantly since I bought mine in 2018 but still not par with true luxury cars (in the same price range). Everyone's definition of luxury is different though and so YMMV.

I still have 3 cars in the house just because I cannot bring myself to have the Tesla as the only kid hauler. I had loaner in 2018 and 2019. Haven't had a loaner since then (in the Orlando region) - despite them keeping car for days sometimes.

My personal experience has been soured by the extreme incompetence of the Orlando service center. Mobile service is very good in my area but they still want me to drive to the center next week and drop the car off to fix a loose trim piece on the front bumper (which the mobile service guy forgot to secure while changing my DRL for the 6th time). I now have to drop the car off on an evening (after hours), hope that they do not forget to give me uber credits, come home and take the other backup car to haul the kids to school. I only pray that they actually start working on the car the same day and don't drag this for too long. Sometimes, the uber credits are taken back as soon as the service is complete. I have to text (through the app) to remind them to send me some more credits to pick the car up.

This does not mean that every service center is bad. There are forum posts here with some really good experiences at the service centers. My advice would be to search and make sure that your closest service center is good - or at least ensure that a really good one is not a huge hike away

It was still a good decision to buy the car in 2018 and I cannot fathom going back to an ICE performance car. Tesla has paved the way for the future. I now also own a Taycan 4S which has its own quirks. Wife is thinking of trading in the Tesla and our minivan for an EQS SUV once she has a chance to test drive. All in all, I am glad that I bought a Tesla when we bought it and we will be an all EV household in the near future. I certainly would not buy a Tesla again for now - unless they have an exciting car to offer. Life is too short to get all riled up about brand loyalties.

Do your research, meet some owners (talk to long term owners as well), take an extended test drive (turo) and then decide if the car is right for you. If things don't go your way, sell the car and move on. You'll still be happy to experience Tesla at least once

 

[Barry]

You’ll be sorely disappointed with Tesla service.

I agree. I will not be buying another Tesla. Once supply chain issues are resolved and a few more car companies get some EV experience under their belt, I'll be looking elsewhere. Currently on my list of possibilities is the BMW iX.

 

[2101Guy]

Thanks, did you miss the luxury or build quality of those cars or do the positive outweigh the negatives?

I honestly do not. Yes, my E55 AMG and Range Rover had real leather seats. And were REALLY nice vehicles. But the vegan (fake) leather in my Teslas have worn/wear better over time, especially the outer bolsters, for example. The Model S is luxury enough for me, to be honest. No it doesnt have massage seats but...I rarely used those in my Benz. But I have every technical luxury feature I need. Do I sometimes miss the engaging manual shifting experience I had in my BMW 540/6 sport? Yes. Do I miss having to wait for engines to warm up in the winter before I'd get cabin heat? Do I miss maintenance of diff fluid, trans fluid, etc changes? No. Do I miss brake dust on my rims? No. Do I miss situations where acceleration hesitated a bit because the auto trans had to shift down first? No. Do i miss having to stop at gas stations vs simply..plugging into my garage at night? No.

Do I enjoy instant fast all wheel drive acceleration (in a chassis where the most weight is at the lowest part of the car, in a near 50/50 weight balance chassis)at any time I tap the accelerator? Yes. Do I enjoy one pedal driving? Yes. Do I enjoy seamless, quiet massive acceleration with no drama? Yes. Do I enjoy the amazingly accurate traction control of electric, that somehow magically always gets you optimum traction with no wheelspin and no cutting back on power at all (At least it feels that way). Yes.

Was it fun this morning when a GT53 AMG pulls next to me at the light and there is no one ahead of us. And as we wait for the light to go green, he revs and then guns it as the light went green...and I then EASILY out accelerated him for the next 1/8th to 1/4 mile in my long range refresh S? I mean EASILY outran him and with zero drama/zero noise as he makes all sorts of engine/exhaust racket?

YES

SO many advantages to electric. I have zero desire to go back to complex combustion engines, even if I move away from Tesla in the future.

 

[redmunds]

So, we test drove the 2020 Tesla Raven Model X.

Be sure to do another test drive of the 2022 Plaid Model S and X as there have been significant changes. Most notably, they both now come with a Yoke instead of a Steering Wheel, and all controls have been removed from the stalk.

 

[vcor]

Yep, the safer yoke design and getting rid of all those confusing stalks give Tesla a major advantage over BMW and others. I bet BMW and others will copy the design in 4 or 5 years. I see Lexus is adopting the yoke too.

 

[vcor]

Also, consider that part of what you are paying for is far better safety in the Tesla than other makes. Telsa tops out with a 5-start safety rating in every category.

 

[2putt4]

This is true, however, my experience is comparing a Model 3 Performance to a BMW 335 or 435. In that comparison, I think tesla does very well. Your typical BMW 5 / 7 series buyer though, its a much different proposition.

I have both a model 3 performance and a model Y performance. I think the model 3 compares really well with BMW 3 / 4 series. My own personal opinion is that the model S does not compete extremely well in the typical BMW 5 series buyer bracket, unless its an M5 buyer who prioritizes speed.

I was an F10 M5 Competition Pack owner and I am happier with my MS Plaid. You are right in that I never cross shopped earlier Model S' in the past, but with the refresh, I know a lot of 5-series and A6 owners loving the car and is now cross shopping the S. The refreshed S is luxurious enough for me. I thought I needed all the bells and whistles of leather textures and fine German touches, but I've learned to appreciate the simplicity and minimalist interior. I would never consider a Mercedes nowadays because it feels like I'm stepping into a nightclub. It's over the top and gaudy. When I bought my new M5, 2 years later, the car felt dated. They released a new version of I-Drive and connectivity features and there was no way for me to get those updates without buying a new car. In the Tesla, they may update the headlight or twilight, but I know that my software and connectivity features are current. You have an onboard computer capable for high-end gaming that is somewhat future proof and under utilized at the moment. Drove two of my friends in my refreshed model S, one owns an F90 M5 and the other an F90 540i, and both are amazed at the overall look and build quality of the interior. They felt that it was luxurious enough for them. I can't say the same for Mercedes owners though, they will go with a Porsche Taycan over a model S just for the badge and luxury.

 

[Bimmer81]

Thanks for all of the additional replies. This has been very helpful. I think I need to schedule another test drive or better yet rent for a weekend on Turo to really get a feel for the car. My friend was at the Princeton, NJ SC today and he had a great experience while he complained about the difference SC he had gone to earlier. Since I live closest to Princeton SC (and about 35 minutes from Springfield SC) that at least gives me hope that the experience won’t be nearly as bad.

Do you think it would be weird if I visited the Princeton SC to look at the refreshed models and chatted up people waiting for service? As I dig further, it seems that experiences can vary greatly from SC to SC.

 

[rjaudi]

Very similar car path to yours. My wife had a 2015 Macan Turbo, which we traded in on a 2019 X5 because we couldn't fit our child seat into it. Last week we picked up a refresh Model S to replace the x5 on her commute. Fit and finish is definitely not as nice, but the interior is still a very nice place to be. So far impressed, although I haven't needed a service center yet.

 

[Need]

My wife drove X5 (2 different ones) over 10 years before switching to Model X back in Dec 2017. The MX is so much better than the X5 and it is not even close according to her. I bought my Model 3 later because I like driving her MX so much. OP, you have a 2020 BMW X5, so you should be pretty much trouble free.. until the warranty ends. We own many BMWs before and we know many mechanics who works on them. Unlike most Japanese cars, BMW OEM parts seem to fail quite often just after the warranty ends around 4+ years. The water pump is probably first to go followed by a sequence of parts failing. I bought a Lexus before the Model 3 because my wife's Luxury Import Cars mechanic told me that if I want a trouble free car, buy Lexus.

I don't know how reliable Tesla is yet since both cars are only 4 years old, so we will see. I already bought extended warranty for the Model X because of the previous X5 experience. As for Model S, we had one for loaner for a week or 2. I think it sits way too low and it was hard even for me to get in and out of the driver seat. I can only imagine how hard it would be to get a child in and our of the backseats.

 

[David.85D]

I had an E53 X5 with the sport suspension and staggered tires before my S. I never missed the X5. The S is certainly as tight as an X5. I can’t speak to an M5…

Tesla service is _weird_ but BMW service is outright mercenary. Not a big change in my opinion. Different, yes. But I would do a lot to avoid dealing with either…

My kids adored the S and the rear facing seats. They have integrated 5 point harness which was very convenient. I think they are gone now (I can’t tell you when they were dropped - maybe 2020?) so you’d have to look for a used one. I found it very useful for youngish kids (say 3 to 10) that I had extra space for a friend coming along or picking up one extra kid from sports, etc. and the back seat legroom is huge, so you would not feel cramped as a driver with a car seat behind you when the kids are smaller.

And getting told off by a Karen that I can’t put kids in the trunk is priceless. The kids were doubled up laughing at her and I was trying to diffuse her ranting with a straight face.

 

[Struja]

Coming from Lexus to Tesla, here are my thoughts (and experiences) - I just created a thread about this...

Objectively speaking my Lexus's were better made, more reliable and generally of higher quality. They didn't break. My Model S is in for repairs 3-4 times per year (you name it, I've had it go wrong).

Like Bruce said above, when I first got the car, service was close to Lexus level of customer care. Those days are long gone. My parents got better service from Pontiac in 1991 than we are currently getting with Tesla.

Having said all of that... I've never owned a car that I've enjoyed as much as my Model S. I will probably buy another one (just with an extended warranty). I am not a fan of Tesla the company and even less of a fan of Elon, but my car, with all of its reliability issues, still puts a smile on my face.

I would say this... expect to love your car and hate the company.

 

[Barry]

I will probably buy another one

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me!

 

[Struja]

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me!

Totally true, but I figure with the extended warranty it will bug me less.