Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

M3P VS BMW I4 M50

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
But the real story is the i4 M50 is playing in the same ballpark at least, could possibly be quicker by 1/4 or at higher speeds, or not, but either way it's shaping up to be real competition.

Last time I checked once you played the BMW-everything-is-an-option game and made them feature comparable the BMW was like 15k more....($73,825 once you add the features the tesla already comes with like the heated seats, driver assists, premium sound, etc)....so not really "competition" at that point? Or is it a lot closer overseas or something?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Anothergeek
Quicker than that...


MT has it running 11.5 in the 1/4 (and there's numerous Dragy verified results in the 11.3x range... quickest is an 11.34, our own magnus mako at 11.36, an australian at 11.37, another member (Sam1) at 11.39- then tons of 3Ps in the 11.4x range)

My 2018 Ghost 3P ran an 11.33 at around 2 years / 30,000 miles with the back seat out (~55 lbs) and slightly lighter wheels/rotors and a 12v li-ion battery (~23 lbs). But remove the weight reductions and I'd wager it should still manage an 11.5 easy, 11.6 at worst at 90%+ SoC. My only guess in the video vs the bmw i4 is maybe the SoC wasn't high And temps were lowish and thus the battery was cold too. But you know these carwow videos, they are fun and all but hardly scientific. They are pretty sporadic about giving more information on the weather conditions, DA, SoC, etc. They should just put up a chart in every video that has all this stuff easy to reference.
 
Last edited:
  • Informative
Reactions: Knightshade
Last time I checked once you played the BMW-everything-is-an-option game and made them feature comparable the BMW was like 15k more....($73,825 once you add the features the tesla already comes with like the heated seats, driver assists, premium sound, etc)....so not really "competition" at that point? Or is it a lot closer overseas or something?
Right around USD $10k difference if optioned to match, with base paint and interior selections on each. I believe BMW still qualifies for the federal tax credit so that (unfairly) brings the effective difference for majority of potential buyers down to $2.5k. That's within spitting distance at this price range.

I would have cross-shopped the i4 M50 with the M3P, P2P, and Mach-E GT PE if the i4 had been out in the fall, when I was car shopping. Even if the difference was $10k I would have, let alone at $2.5k due to skewed government subsidies. (As mentioned I expect I'll prefer the M3P, even if the price were identical, but for sure I would have tested and considered the i4 M50.)
 
Last edited:
It may not be a top consideration and could be a temporary phenomenon but the Model 3 is worth more used than what you paid for it. I'm looking to sell my 2021 M3P for a 2022 M3P and can $7K more than I paid for it. There's no sales tax on EVs where I am so what I sell it for is what I get. Just looking at used M3P inventory, there isn't much out there so it may hold it's value a little better.

Back on topic. I agree on the BMW likely having a better fit and finish than the M3P. If you've watched any of those German car maker videos on YouTube, you'll see how amazing their manufacturing processes are My E90 335i surprisingly did not have any squeaks or rattles. But the car had horrific reliability issues. I took that car into the dealership at least 26 times for repairs. The first year alone, I had the HPFP replaced 3x. So far the only problem I've had with my M3P is that Hulu doesn't work. Even the latest upgrade to v11 did not solve the problem. I do have to take the car in to get some temperature sensor replaced which they alerted me to.
 
Nice car there with the E90, reliability issues aside. If the i4 can recreate that balance of fun and refinement from an E90, it'll be a good car and great daily driver, even if it's not the best packaged EV. (Let's be real, neither can a Model 3 claim great packaging without a hatch/liftgate! ;))

Anyone know if the i4 will support Plug & Charge (ISO 15118)? To me that's a key component for fully competing with any Tesla. Even then public DCFC in the USA is obviously in a much worse state than the Supercharger network, but Plug & Charge gives me some hope of other EVs moving beyond fiddling with payment methods and broken interfaces at the "pump," to get closer to a smooth EV road trip experience.
 
I'm still waiting to get into electric. I will very likely do so this year. I will sell my 718 GTS and use the proceeds for a new electric. Then I will use that as my daily. Will just have a backup for the worst of weather days until eventually it's just the electric. Looking at either the M3P or maybe even the new genesis.
 
Right around USD $10k difference if optioned to match, with base paint and interior selections on each.

The i4 M50 starts at 66k, and once you option it comparably (wheel size, and adding heated seats, premium sound, adaptive headlights, and the driver assist features the Tesla all comes with, etc) the BMW is $73,825 per bmw.com.

That's nearer a 15k difference not 10.

And the Tesla is quicker, vastly better charging network, much better resale, etc...

I agree the fed $7500 rebate at least gets it closer, and if I was a newbie buyer I'd probably test drive both, but I'd be coming home with the Tesla.

Hell, if you just want to match the BMWs performance you can save ANOTHER 8 grand and get an AWD+
 
Hello everyone,

I have just joined the forum as I'm hoping to get some help from some current tesla owners (particularly those with the performance version)

I am going to be making the swap to an electric vehicle early next year and I'm looking to place an order soon as the build times should take me nicely up to the end of my current lease.

I am constantly fighting with myself over choosing the model 3 performance or the upcoming Bmw i4 m50. Both cars look really nice to me and performance wise they don't seem to dissimilar.

My concern with the bmw is that I'm going to get ripped off with the maintenance costs as I have had numerous bmw's in the past and this always seems to be the case. I've been advised this particular bmw will only require a minor service every 2 years. Tyres will potentially need changed yearly or maybe every 2 years if I'm lucky.

Anyone who owns a model 3 performance and has had use of it for some time has had to take it to a garage for any servicing and is this expensive? Do the tyres last a reasonable amount of time? Are there any other costs involved u should be aware of?

Tesla themselves told me that the model 3 requires no servicing at all but can get a summer health check if people wanted at a cost of around £60. Tyres last roughly 15k to 20k depending on driving style. Is anyone able to confirm whether this is true for the tesla?

Since I'm so undecided on which car to go for, im just going to go with the one that seems as though it will save me a bit more money after it's been bought and will be better in the long term.

Apologies for the long post and thanks to everyone who reads it.
I’m very late to reply to this post but thought I’d share my opinion on this having test driven the i4 M50 and the M3 P…

So for me the m50 is the better built car, quality throughout and I liked the infotainment screen. I think it looks really good with the exception of the front grille. It felt heavier round the corners and I felt the Tesla was nimbler.

I ordered the MP3 in the end. I went from a 330e and although the m50 was really nice, in some ways it just felt like another bmw. The rear head space wasn’t good and overall it felt a bit cramp compared to the Tesla. I noticed that the range literally plummeted in the m50 so would say the real range will be pretty poor.

Ive had my MP3 for 3 weeks now and I absolutely love it. Delivery was supposed to be March but someone cancelled theirs and it matched my order. The BMW was estimated delivery of June earliest.
 
Here's a comparison drag race.


Having had an M3P for 2 years, I'm considering the M50. Having been in one, I can say the interior is very very nice indeed. That screen is an OLED for a start, and it knocks spots off the Tesla one for clarity and colour. The ride is lovely and it's way quieter at all speeds above a crawl, on all surfaces.

However... The Tesla is a better drivers car. The BMW's steering is very direct but lifeless, and although it hides the weight well, that 2,280 kg does show up at times. The Tesla charging network will open up to all EV's soon so that's not so much of an issue here in the UK.

Strangely, if leasing, the M50 comes in cheaper than the M3P at the moment.

So, I'm still struggling to make a decision...
 
Last edited:
  • Helpful
Reactions: tm1v2
Here's a comparison drag race.


Having had an M3P for 2 years, I'm considering the M50. Having been in one, I can say the interior is very very nice indeed. That screen is an OLED for a start, and it knocks spots off the Tesla one for clarity and colour. The ride is lovely and it's way quieter at all speeds above a crawl, on all surfaces.

However... The Tesla is a better drivers car. The BMW's steering is very direct but lifeless, and although it hides the weight well, that 2,280 kg does show up at times. The Tesla charging network will open up to all EV's soon so that's not so much of an issue here in the UK.

Strangely, if leasing, the M50 comes in cheaper than the M3P at the moment.

So, I'm still struggling to make a decision...
Good point about the quieter ride , the BMW wins there but as you say the Tesla is just better to drive. Difficult decision though as both are great cars…
 
Oh that is stupid. That's a huge area under that big tall hood to have no frunk, even for a dual motor car.

I assumed it had its batteries in the driveshaft tunnel like a Polestar 2, I actually like that about the P2 because it leaves more vertical space for a higher, more comfortable back seat without compromising headroom. Much better than Model 3 back seat to me.

But now I'm reading the i4 has the worst of both layouts...batteries under your feet AND a residual driveshaft tunnel? 😂 BMW are you serious? You were playing a real EV game when you launched the i3 even if it wasn't my cup of tea. You can do better than this.

Then again the i4 is a hatchback/fastback like the P2, right? That's worth a solid 0.5 sec in the quarter mile to me. 😁

I was curious about the platform as I haven’t read much about it. Apparently there are some batteries in the driveshaft tunnel - it wouldn’t be very German to waste space like that 😄
 
Good point about the quieter ride , the BMW wins there but as you say the Tesla is just better to drive. Difficult decision though as both are great cars…
Thanks @Fins7273 and @rincewind for sharing your test drive impressions! That's very helpful. I didn't realize the i4 is already available for customers to test & buy in some countries.

Sounds like either M3P (what I bought) or P2P (what I almost bought) still suit me more. I'm quite happy with my 2021 M3P's refinement and I wouldn't want to sacrifice any of its driving fun for more!

If anything I'd rather go in the other direction. To me the 2021 M3P has refinement to spare. I'm putting on a few suspension mods soon to crank up the fun even more. From what I've read I'm not sure I'll actually lose any refinement, but even if I lose a little I'm okay with that (and it's balanced somewhat by my switch to 245/45R18 tires). So the i4 M50 no longer sounds appealing to me, but we all have different preferences, variety is good.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: DFW_MVP
I thought I'd update my thoughts on this, having now test driven the M50 last Sunday. The M50 is better on ride quality, noise levels and cabin ambience. However, the Model 3 P beats it for driving pleasure. The M3P has a better throttle response, feels better on the steering i.e. can feel what it's actually doing, handles better overall - it has that 'chuckable' feel that's lacking in the BMW. The BMW has multiple driving modes (which I don't like), where's the Model 3 can just be set to one mode of choice and it's kept at that setting. Once this is set, all the power is available all of the time in the M3P. This is not the case in the BMW. I wondered why, when I applied a decent throttle opening coming out of a roundabout, not much happened. It turns out that BMW software won't allow high levels of power to be applied unless the steering angle is within defined parameters i.e. nearly straight ahead (though turning off the ASC defeats this). The BMW also struggles more to put it's power down, it will lose traction more often than the Tesla. It does feel more stable than the Tesla at high speed though.

Flooring the throttle in the BMW resulted in a jerk (not g forces, just a jerking motion) before acceleration happended. This has also been noticed by others. Doing the same in the M3P results only in g forces. The Tesla just feels better on the throttle, always eager to respond. I don't get that feeling from the BMW.

So, overall thoughts. Did I walk away from the M50 thinking 'Oooh, I must have one of these'. No, I didn't. I do wish Tesla would up their game on noise levels though, it's the one thing I really think lets it down at motorway speeds. I also found myself, on getting back in the M3P, looking at the cabin and feeling that it could really do with an upgrade. Strange, as until I sat in the BMW it hadn't really bothered me before.
 
I thought I'd update my thoughts on this, having now test driven the M50 last Sunday. The M50 is better on ride quality, noise levels and cabin ambience. However, the Model 3 P beats it for driving pleasure. The M3P has a better throttle response, feels better on the steering i.e. can feel what it's actually doing, handles better overall - it has that 'chuckable' feel that's lacking in the BMW. The BMW has multiple driving modes (which I don't like), where's the Model 3 can just be set to one mode of choice and it's kept at that setting. Once this is set, all the power is available all of the time in the M3P. This is not the case in the BMW. I wondered why, when I applied a decent throttle opening coming out of a roundabout, not much happened. It turns out that BMW software won't allow high levels of power to be applied unless the steering angle is within defined parameters i.e. nearly straight ahead (though turning off the ASC defeats this). The BMW also struggles more to put it's power down, it will lose traction more often than the Tesla. It does feel more stable than the Tesla at high speed though.

Flooring the throttle in the BMW resulted in a jerk (not g forces, just a jerking motion) before acceleration happended. This has also been noticed by others. Doing the same in the M3P results only in g forces. The Tesla just feels better on the throttle, always eager to respond. I don't get that feeling from the BMW.

So, overall thoughts. Did I walk away from the M50 thinking 'Oooh, I must have one of these'. No, I didn't. I do wish Tesla would up their game on noise levels though, it's the one thing I really think lets it down at motorway speeds. I also found myself, on getting back in the M3P, looking at the cabin and feeling that it could really do with an upgrade. Strange, as until I sat in the BMW it hadn't really bothered me before.

Model 3 does the same thing, when the steering wheel isnt straight it limits power output. very noticeable if you turn the wheel and then floor it.