It's funny, last week I was in Ireland and rented a BMW 530e and overall I'd say it was OK, nothing astounding at all. I compared to the two Teslas I've owned over the last four years. It had a little bit of zoom when flooring it but not much, and of course made a lot of noise before anything really happened. Controls and UI are OK, some of the seat adjustments not so much. I thought the outside looked alright (had "M" on the side so I assume bodykit etc?) but with a bit of dirt it didn't look amazing TBH, a little ordinary really. I'd take my Model Y any day over that thing but this is why it's great there are options.
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I like to give you a full explanation because I think you don't get the big picture to why I went with Tesla.
I tried to somewhat give people an understanding in that owning a Tesla through a company lease is a whole other story than owning it personally.
You are glad that you get a frickin' Tesla for a company car.
The company lets you supercharge as much as you want so you have zero worries driving it.
I even had to get my lights fixed with the lease through service and it didn't bother me at all, company paid it.
I never checked for paint imperfections, panel gaps, rock chips or anything that relates to the build quality of the car.
Took the car into carwash every week.
I just drove it to work and parked it nicely in the company garage which had very tight spaces. I loved the parking aid on the screen.
I really liked that car because it was such a different experience from my BMWs that I always had.
So after turning it in, I was left with my BMWs. I actually never compared them build quality wise. What struck me most when going back to the BMW was how fast the Model 3 was. I had a X5 45e (Hybrid) with a small electromotor and a diesel X1 (my wife actually) and the Model 3 was much quicker and more fun to drive when going to work. Never used the Tesla for long distance travel. We took the BMW to France (+1000km). We took the BMW when skiing in Austria (+1200km).
But... my mind was set on buying an electric car. And to be honest, Tesla still has the best electric motors, no competition there. Check Carwow, TopGear, Autoweek, Car Expert,... even Dutch websites for car reviews seem to love the MY all the way. Looking at the line of BMW, there was the iX1, iX3 and iX. That's 3 cars to choose from.
Coming from X5, the iX3 or iX are the options. iX is really expensive here, starts at 85k base model. At that time in July there weren't a lot of checks in favor of a BMW iX3, just that it was familiar and the obvious build quality.
So yeah, I wasn't exactly hesitating when selling the BMW and going to Tesla because I mostly remembered all the fun stuff about the Tesla.
I watched a lot of videos before buying one and I have to say...90% of those videos is probably slightly fanboyism. How many times I heard that the 22 MY was sooo much better than the 2020 Model 3, like night and day difference. Also people were really pleased with the car, the space, the charging infrastructure, the handling,...
I saw a bunch of videos explaining that the ride was more harsh on the MYLR than the P. I saw so many videos explaining that the German Berlin MY was superior in finish.
So yes... I was hyped about this car and that it would be a blast to drive as a new family car (suv).
Sadly I had so much trouble going through the proces of delivery that I was already kind of mad at Tesla before receiving the car.
I mean, the month before receiving the car, BMW invited me to their concession for a New Years brunch. They call you, they send you custom invitations, you arrive and they know your name, they asked how I was doing, they gave me a tour of the new cars,... Like day and night difference experience at the time I was emailing back and forward with Tesla about them using my car at a the Belgian (European) Car Expo while I had already paid the car in full and had an insurance on a car that I couldn't receive. Time between first delivery appointment and actual appointment was 35 days!
Time not having an actual car was already a month. Used my wife's car and had to take my bike for work actually
Tesla had no cars available for this small time period to compensate for the trouble.35 days of not knowing what they are doing with the car you paid for and used savings for. Again, totally different story if it were a company lease.
So not a good start.
When delivery was finally there, I was so glad I finally got to pick up the car that I didn't even want to go through the proces of declining the delivery for gaps and paint imperfections. I asked the salesperson when I would get an update on USS and he told me it was in the makes and would be released soon. I trust him as a person close to Tesla. But he lied cause he probably knew nothing.
I have to park in tight spaces everyday! It's impossible to park nose (front) first. If this would have been a company car I probably would care less, a scratch here or there would not keep me awake at night.
So this is a frustration on a daily basis. Checking Twitter for any updates on this matter. Checking this community.
And... then you read other owners' stories and their experiences. You build on that. You forget all the cool stuff about the car and go full negative about every little detail.
And... you remember the time with the BMW were you had no issues at all and you had someone to talk to when there actually was an issue.
I swear I had a problem with the BMW once were it needed replacement and BMW called me to tell this, made an appointment and upon arriving when I brought the car in, there was another car waiting for me. No extra costs. Seriously I can't compare the two.
Let me tell you that after a week I already needed to go into service. Upon driving home with my brand new Tesla, people were constantly giving me the sign my lights were too high. I came home and checked the height compared to my BMW, man they were like way too high. So not properly adjusted upon delivery.
I fixed it through the menus (fanboys would just tell me to not nag about lights and fix them), but I'm no expert. I don't have proper equipment for aligning them. And in Belgium you can get a ticket for not properly having your lights aligned. So went to the service center. Never had this with any car. Standard practice to always check the lights even when going in for small oil changes. It's basic stuff and legally required.
And then there is the fact that in Belgium it rains on a daily basis this time of year. And the automatic wipers in the Tesla are cheap crap. I just don't understand how they test them at their facilities because 75% of the time they get it wrong. Way too fast or when there is heavy rain way too slow. Find myself pushing the manual knob so many times when I never even had to touch them once in my previous cars.
So to sum up... This car is still a really fun car to drive. Honestly going back to BMW is not something all glamour and a thing I'm looking forward to. It will cost me more money and it's not a superior car in every aspect.
I love sitting in the white seats and the wide view of the Tesla. I love using Apple Music so much, can't even compare to the small screen in the BMW.
I will miss how quick it is and how easy it is to charge. And I probably will not be driving my electric car to France this summer just because I don't trust the BMW range and charging times.
But I do prefer a car I can trust like the BMW on driving mechanics, parking aid, cruise control and of course build quality. Those right now are my main frustrations in the Tesla and I don't see how I can fix them myself.
I can ask Elon or Tesla on Twitter like a zillion times more when they are finally going to say something about Tesla Vision, but to me it seems they only care about making more sales and taking mass production of a car to higher levels. Customer loyalty and satisfaction or properly address customers' concerns is non existent.
Long story short... no I don't think I needed to pick a BMW over the Tesla in the first place. If the car was delivered without problems, if Tesla would have done just anything to compensate me for the trouble and above all if the car had USS... I would gladly look at options to fix the wipers and live with the small imperfections of the Tesla. But I am not a Tesla fanboy and I just don't want to make more costs just because they can't deliver cars were everything is aligned and functioning properly. THEY should do that, not me as a customer of a 70k car.
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I had an E39, E90 and family had an E60. My absolute favourite in terms of quality was the E39. Wow the build quality. I agree with many of the OPs comments having come from BMW and most recently Audi, but at this stage in my life I just want convenience and the simplicity of things is why our garage now has a 2022 MY and 2022 M3 both long range.
Not to argue, but I don't agree 100%. Maybe I'm not on the same wavelength with how you define "build quality", but Tesla's well known exterior quality issues such as inconsistent gap, sub-par (?) paint finish, and etc. should be fixed even before the car is released to the buyers. Are you expecting non-luxury cars to have the same issues because they're not as expensive as BMWs and such?Correct me if I'm wrong, but price-wise speaking, aren't BMW electric SUVs in a different (higher) segment – like a good $20k+ difference? Which is why it makes sense for most people choosing Model Y to feel very okay compromising on some of the build quality type things? Basically I'm not sure if this is apples to apples comparison
Thanks for long explanation and I dont even have the patience to read all of them but I came from Land Rover and I know what I get I into before buying MYLR and I don’t even feel like it is worse as many people described. If Tesla was that worse, why so many people are buying it. If don’t like don’t buy, no forcing. People will happy to take other’s spot.I like to give you a full explanation because I think you don't get the big picture to why I went with Tesla.
I tried to somewhat give people an understanding in that owning a Tesla through a company lease is a whole other story than owning it personally.
You are glad that you get a frickin' Tesla for a company car.
The company lets you supercharge as much as you want so you have zero worries driving it.
I even had to get my lights fixed with the lease through service and it didn't bother me at all, company paid it.
I never checked for paint imperfections, panel gaps, rock chips or anything that relates to the build quality of the car.
Took the car into carwash every week.
I just drove it to work and parked it nicely in the company garage which had very tight spaces. I loved the parking aid on the screen.
I really liked that car because it was such a different experience from my BMWs that I always had.
So after turning it in, I was left with my BMWs. I actually never compared them build quality wise. What struck me most when going back to the BMW was how fast the Model 3 was. I had a X5 45e (Hybrid) with a small electromotor and a diesel X1 (my wife actually) and the Model 3 was much quicker and more fun to drive when going to work. Never used the Tesla for long distance travel. We took the BMW to France (+1000km). We took the BMW when skiing in Austria (+1200km).
But... my mind was set on buying an electric car. And to be honest, Tesla still has the best electric motors, no competition there. Check Carwow, TopGear, Autoweek, Car Expert,... even Dutch websites for car reviews seem to love the MY all the way. Looking at the line of BMW, there was the iX1, iX3 and iX. That's 3 cars to choose from.
Coming from X5, the iX3 or iX are the options. iX is really expensive here, starts at 85k base model. At that time in July there weren't a lot of checks in favor of a BMW iX3, just that it was familiar and the obvious build quality.
So yeah, I wasn't exactly hesitating when selling the BMW and going to Tesla because I mostly remembered all the fun stuff about the Tesla.
I watched a lot of videos before buying one and I have to say...90% of those videos is probably slightly fanboyism. How many times I heard that the 22 MY was sooo much better than the 2020 Model 3, like night and day difference. Also people were really pleased with the car, the space, the charging infrastructure, the handling,...
I saw a bunch of videos explaining that the ride was more harsh on the MYLR than the P. I saw so many videos explaining that the German Berlin MY was superior in finish.
So yes... I was hyped about this car and that it would be a blast to drive as a new family car (suv).
Sadly I had so much trouble going through the proces of delivery that I was already kind of mad at Tesla before receiving the car.
I mean, the month before receiving the car, BMW invited me to their concession for a New Years brunch. They call you, they send you custom invitations, you arrive and they know your name, they asked how I was doing, they gave me a tour of the new cars,... Like day and night difference experience at the time I was emailing back and forward with Tesla about them using my car at a the Belgian (European) Car Expo while I had already paid the car in full and had an insurance on a car that I couldn't receive. Time between first delivery appointment and actual appointment was 35 days!
Time not having an actual car was already a month. Used my wife's car and had to take my bike for work actually
35 days of not knowing what they are doing with the car you paid for and used savings for. Again, totally different story if it were a company lease.
So not a good start.
When delivery was finally there, I was so glad I finally got to pick up the car that I didn't even want to go through the proces of declining the delivery for gaps and paint imperfections. I asked the salesperson when I would get an update on USS and he told me it was in the makes and would be released soon. I trust him as a person close to Tesla. But he lied cause he probably knew nothing.
I have to park in tight spaces everyday! It's impossible to park nose (front) first. If this would have been a company car I probably would care less, a scratch here or there would not keep me awake at night.
So this is a frustration on a daily basis. Checking Twitter for any updates on this matter. Checking this community.
And... then you read other owners' stories and their experiences. You build on that. You forget all the cool stuff about the car and go full negative about every little detail.
And... you remember the time with the BMW were you had no issues at all and you had someone to talk to when there actually was an issue.
I swear I had a problem with the BMW once were it needed replacement and BMW called me to tell this, made an appointment and upon arriving when I brought the car in, there was another car waiting for me. No extra costs. Seriously I can't compare the two.
Let me tell you that after a week I already needed to go into service. Upon driving home with my brand new Tesla, people were constantly giving me the sign my lights were too high. I came home and checked the height compared to my BMW, man they were like way too high. So not properly adjusted upon delivery.
I fixed it through the menus (fanboys would just tell me to not nag about lights and fix them), but I'm no expert. I don't have proper equipment for aligning them. And in Belgium you can get a ticket for not properly having your lights aligned. So went to the service center. Never had this with any car. Standard practice to always check the lights even when going in for small oil changes. It's basic stuff and legally required.
And then there is the fact that in Belgium it rains on a daily basis this time of year. And the automatic wipers in the Tesla are cheap crap. I just don't understand how they test them at their facilities because 75% of the time they get it wrong. Way too fast or when there is heavy rain way too slow. Find myself pushing the manual knob so many times when I never even had to touch them once in my previous cars.
So to sum up... This car is still a really fun car to drive. Honestly going back to BMW is not something all glamour and a thing I'm looking forward to. It will cost me more money and it's not a superior car in every aspect.
I love sitting in the white seats and the wide view of the Tesla. I love using Apple Music so much, can't even compare to the small screen in the BMW.
I will miss how quick it is and how easy it is to charge. And I probably will not be driving my electric car to France this summer just because I don't trust the BMW range and charging times.
But I do prefer a car I can trust like the BMW on driving mechanics, parking aid, cruise control and of course build quality. Those right now are my main frustrations in the Tesla and I don't see how I can fix them myself.
I can ask Elon or Tesla on Twitter like a zillion times more when they are finally going to say something about Tesla Vision, but to me it seems they only care about making more sales and taking mass production of a car to higher levels. Customer loyalty and satisfaction or properly address customers' concerns is non existent.
Long story short... no I don't think I needed to pick a BMW over the Tesla in the first place. If the car was delivered without problems, if Tesla would have done just anything to compensate me for the trouble and above all if the car had USS... I would gladly look at options to fix the wipers and live with the small imperfections of the Tesla. But I am not a Tesla fanboy and I just don't want to make more costs just because they can't deliver cars were everything is aligned and functioning properly. THEY should do that, not me as a customer of a 70k car.
IMO, talking down or excessive complain about something do not make one more superior. It may be opposite.
I mostly happy with my new 2023 Model 3 RWD. Fit and finish is good, not perfect but acceptable. I paid $36000 (after $7500 and $2500 state cretit) and this is a very good value for an EV. I preferer more intuitive, traditional car like VW ID.4 or Ioniq 5 but the CCS charging network in the US is crap and so the dealers mark up, so here comes Tesla...
That was my thought exactly. Cant compare MYP, a relatively cheap sports car with cars priced closer to 100k. Of course they had to compromise in some areas.Correct me if I'm wrong, but price-wise speaking, aren't BMW electric SUVs in a different (higher) segment – like a good $20k+ difference? Which is why it makes sense for most people choosing Model Y to feel very okay compromising on some of the build quality type things? Basically I'm not sure if this is apples to apples comparison
Having said that I think your observations are spot on. Like others have said, its personal. I love my MYP and the negatives you list dont bother me as much. I also cant find a similar priced comparison.
Exactly. I have a relative that tells me the taycan gts is faster(it’s not) and how it’s so much better. That Car is 135k vs 51k for MYP after tax credits. I would hope it’s better for 84k more. They aren’t comparible and the MYP has better range.
i'm a fan of Audi and came from them when i got my M3. i have to agree with others - build quality and paint issues happen to other brands. i've seen misaligned panels on everything from Porsches to Volkswagons to you name it. Tesla gets a black eye and more scrutiny when they do it because they are so scrutinized by the media especially during the pressure to deliver Model 3s and the quality was questionable for sure as Tesla tried to figure out how to mass produce electric cars - something no one had ever done before.
btw, i've had zero paint or build quality issues on my 2023 M3. i was worried to death after reading stories but guess what...they seemed to have figured it out at least on the M3! Quality is fabulous!
btw, i've had zero paint or build quality issues on my 2023 M3. i was worried to death after reading stories but guess what...they seemed to have figured it out at least on the M3! Quality is fabulous!
Hello, I am in thd United States and I just purchased a Model Y LR with 19" Geminis. I had owned BMWs for the last 25 years. I sold my 2012 F25 X3 3.0 and got 23 MYLR. My wife owns 2022 G01 X3. I had MYLR for 1000 miles now. I did side by side testing and compared MYLR to the G01 X3. MYLR loses only in seat comfort. Seats are too puffy and narrow. Our X3 has sport seats with thighh supports though. The ride quality is on par: MYLR corners better, and the X3 eats up the bumps better, but leans more. I run 42 psi on MYLR. Noise is the same level, but sounds slightly different. These is no engine noise in MYLR I love the quiet and confident acceleration. I like the tech in MYLR better, cruise control works better, and audio system is better. The paint job on the X3 is better, but just slightly. Build quality is good on my 2023 MYLR from Fremont, comparable to the BMW. I can see quality metals in the suspension parts on MY. I do a lot of DIY maintenance on my BMWs otherwise i would go broke ,so I know quality parts when I see them.
Very important: Tesla did require some DIY. I adjusted rear hatch bump stops, frunk bump stops and placed sound deadening material inside the frunk and the trunk cavity. This reduced noise and unpleasant boominess to the point that it is not noticeable.
I removed ugly gemini wheel covers because they scratch rims. Bought original Tesla center caps and nut covers.
You cannot compare X3 with 19" and puffy tires to 21" wheels MYP in ride quality. But if you put on 19" wheels on MYP you will find that the ride quality on balance is very similar to BMW. Definitely super close to what I had on my last BMW M3 that I sold before buying the F25 X3.
Overall I like my MYLR and I enjoy my 23 mile commute to work. I am sure that the iX is better but it costs over 50% more and it is not worth it. Compared to the X3 MYLR is same or better considering all features.
,so I know quality parts when I see them.Very important: Tesla did require some DIY. I adjusted rear hatch bump stops, frunk bump stops and placed sound deadening material inside the frunk and the trunk cavity. This reduced noise and unpleasant boominess to the point that it is not noticeable.
I removed ugly gemini wheel covers because they scratch rims. Bought original Tesla center caps and nut covers.
You cannot compare X3 with 19" and puffy tires to 21" wheels MYP in ride quality. But if you put on 19" wheels on MYP you will find that the ride quality on balance is very similar to BMW. Definitely super close to what I had on my last BMW M3 that I sold before buying the F25 X3.
Overall I like my MYLR and I enjoy my 23 mile commute to work. I am sure that the iX is better but it costs over 50% more and it is not worth it. Compared to the X3 MYLR is same or better considering all features.
Thanks for the comparison. Can you post some details/pics on what you did to reduce sound. My MYP is super quiet, paint job impeccable and nothing needed adjustments...I am also a DYI. I added the Power Frunk and its awesome as I said above...but if I can reduce even more noise I would love to learn what you did.
Right? I'm in the MYLR camp (recently ordered), in which case the price difference is even wider. I researched a whole lot for months (and I have a pretty stretchable budget tbh), but went with MLYR (7-seat) as it feels just no-brainer. Here's all the boxes it checks for me, which literally no other car seems to offer (altogether) at this price:
Super duper safe Really fun to drive Really good 2nd row space, 3 average size adults can be on long drive (better than other cars, because no floor barrier in the middle) Lots of trunk space Optional third row to make it 7-seat when needed Super peace-of-mind buying experience – no hidden discounts, no hidden charges, great defaults / no concept of options after options (wtf Porsche?) Very low maintenance No fuel costs (Charging is 1/3th the cost of gas fuel) Sustainable, future-proof, electric vehicle Not too big, practical size for daily use, no need for separate small car SUV, so good height for daily car seat putting/removing kids, and getting in/out for grandparents/older folks
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iX3 looks pretty nice. Seems to get performance on par it will get more expensive. I’d be open to an electric BMW if we had more electric options in the US, cost were similar, core tech was better and charging network was better. I’ll also consider an electric Volvo once they make some improvements as well.
Interesting.
I had a BMW Z3 years ago, and it was the worst car I ever owned. Twice it had to be towed back to the dealer because it wouldn't start. It was under warranty and I didn't even have to pay for the tows, but it was pretty unreliable. When I got to about 32,000 miles I traded it in because I wasn't interested in paying for repairs (pretty much everyone else I'd looked at had minimum 50k mile warranties, but BMW was still at 36k).
My Tesla Model S, on the other hand, is the best car I've ever owned. At 100k miles, the only servicing it has ever really needed is the replacement of the 12V battery (twice). My experience with Tesla Service has always been first rate. The car does have its shortcomings, for sure, but they were nothing like the BMW's. I know many others have had much worse experiences with Tesla Service and customer service in general, so maybe I'm at the far end of the bell curve.
I had a BMW Z3 years ago, and it was the worst car I ever owned. Twice it had to be towed back to the dealer because it wouldn't start. It was under warranty and I didn't even have to pay for the tows, but it was pretty unreliable. When I got to about 32,000 miles I traded it in because I wasn't interested in paying for repairs (pretty much everyone else I'd looked at had minimum 50k mile warranties, but BMW was still at 36k).
My Tesla Model S, on the other hand, is the best car I've ever owned. At 100k miles, the only servicing it has ever really needed is the replacement of the 12V battery (twice). My experience with Tesla Service has always been first rate. The car does have its shortcomings, for sure, but they were nothing like the BMW's. I know many others have had much worse experiences with Tesla Service and customer service in general, so maybe I'm at the far end of the bell curve.
I bought it for all the reasons you mentioned! I got the MYP because it was faster delivery and I wanted the tax credit. I originally ordered MYLR then changed when cap went to 80k. 2 weeks later I test drove MYP, Instantly was happy I changed my order. I may be in the minority I don’t feel the ride to be any different. You feel the bad bumps more cause the 21’s. It’s stupid fast off the line. My older kid loves it, The younger one is scared.Right? I'm in the MYLR camp (recently ordered), in which case the price difference is even wider. I researched a whole lot for months (and I have a pretty stretchable budget tbh), but went with MLYR (7-seat) as it feels just no-brainer. Here's all the boxes it checks for me, which literally no other car seems to offer (altogether) at this price:
After reading all your comments I’m going to rent the iX3 for 2 weeks. It’s the only way to really compare them and check if my concerns are valid. I feel I should have picked the MY RWD. Its 20k cheaper, probably has comparable ride quality and more in line with the iX3 motor which is also RWD and has similar 0-60. Maybe I also just got off on the wrong foot for missing USS and the stress of the delivery. I will post an update after I had the BMW. Thanks for the many replies!
Glad you made the call. I am in the same boat. Waited almost 9-10 months and last 3 months is nothing but pain. One service appointment after another (total 8 in 3 months) and have another one next week. Rattling and road noise just drive me crazy. Ready to give it to my son and I am going to get something which is more quiet on the road and does not come with a million build quality issues.
A couple of things. I just got rid of a lease on a Hyundai Kona which was my proof of concept EV and got a decent amount of equity which I put towards my new MYLR along with all the credits.
My wife has a BMW X1 on lease.
The things I noticed about the BMW. First, no smooth torque build up on initial acceleration and noticeable hesitation. When I first drove it I commented that there was something wrong as it accelerated. Then I remembered it had a transmission.
The HUD is an exercise in torture. The focus seems to be at about 30 inches or so, when your driving focus is at infinity. This means you are literally shifting focus several times every few seconds.
I think the MY seats are more comfortable, and there is less work getting the car ready to go. The radar systems are OK, but they nag. My Kona systems worked better.
It's OK quiet, and the suspension is firm.
IMO, the MY, despite some shortcomings, is just better. But then I am a geek. And I am still learning
The doors. Push the rear part of the handle and the door pops. Forget the handle and just put your fingers in the clearance aft of the glass and open the door.
I do not miss the sensors. Yes the vision system is a work in progress. It doesn't yet recognize all signs. It works GREAT with garbage cans and is very helpful with the ones I use in the garage to demarc parking limits. It still needs to be watched, especially on curves where there are cars parked on the side of the road. I do get some false alerts there. I have not yet had any problems with the few minutes I've used autopilot with camera sensors.
I have tested the rear camera, and it is perfect for backing situations as the bottom of the image on the ground is about one foot from the bumper. My beef with the EV parking spots I use is that they paint the lines green. Fine during the day, but at night they are invisible in the rear camera (but I suppose knowing the tail clearance is more important).
I'm sure I'll come up with more. For what I paid, I got my money's worth with the MYLR.
for me EVs come down to 3 factors: battery, OTA Software updates & charging stations.
BMW needs to get rid off it's ugly, very ugly front grill!
BMW needs to get rid off it's ugly, very ugly front grill!
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