The stereo on my P is pretty damn good for a oem system. I have had better when I upgraded past systems with full out builds with Audison components and a real sub. For the first time in a while I don’t feel the urge to upgrade .
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M3P VS BMW I4 M50
- Thread starter Futur3EV
- Start date
Unfortunately there is a large difference. I would go test drive the P/LR and hear the difference yourself.
The LR / P do have a better sound system, but I'm not sure what the exact differences are. I personally think it sounds pretty good, but I'm far from an audiophile.
I did the same, except I also own an F80 and a TM3P. I'm looking to (maybe) replace one or both in the not too distant future.
TM3P accelerates brutally faster than anything you can get from BMW, at any price.
One really needs to compare i4 to a Model 3 LR. TM3P is way beyond anything i4 should dream to compete against,
Incidentally, base i4 and LR are priced almost the same, and i4 M50 is ~$10K extra over LR. My i4 build added up to ~$20K over LR. The price points for i3 are a major miss by BMW marketing, if you ask me.
In terms of driving dynamics and handling on the street, i4 is not that different than a base TM3P, so <zoepup> observations are valid. BMW handling is very good, as always.
TM3P acceleration is in another league altogether, so much so, that I've stopped accelerating at above 75% of throttle in TM3P after a few months of ownership. One's head slamming into the head rest is just too jarring for the driver, never mind the passengers. Although, it's great while merging or managing traffic, or impressing new friends.
I like, appreciate, and usually par for good audio in my cars. I have HK audio in F80, and it's very comparable to the top of the line LR/P audio setup. The base is a bit better in the BMW, but the higher frequencies are a bit crisper in the Tesla. Overall - the two systems are equally excellent. The base/intro-level audio setups in BMWs and Teslas both suck.
BMW HK audio sounds better at highway speeds, as Model 3 wind noise is significantly more intrusive.
Tesla front Model 3 seats are OK, rears ones are deficient for anyone other than elementary school kids. I've heard similar complaints about rear seats in Model S from friends as well.
Model 3 front seats are better than regular 3-serious fronts, but are not a match to BMW ///M3 front seats. ///M seats hug and brace you in all the right places, and provide way more lateral upper body as well as thigh support. I've taken 5+ hour long trips in ///M3 and TM3P, and BMW seats are more comfortable on long road trips. Tesla's fronts are adequate.
Tesla plastic seat surfaces are, overall, a downgrade from quality leather in BMWs or in most other vehicles. Both in terms of feel and grip.
Early Teslas head proper quality leather seats, before PETA got into Elon's brain, and he, unfortunately, switched to plastic fantastic surfaces. They don't breath, and your butt slides in them during enthusiastic turns. Not ideal.
Having said all of the above, I am not a customer for either the i4 or the iX.
The former is an overpriced and heavier Model 3 competitor, with a more luxurious interior in the front, and more cramped everything in the back. I have almost fully grown kids who are already starting to complain about Model 3 space in the rear. i4 child-sized rear space rules it out from consideration, even before one realizes that i4 has little to show for the $10-20K premium pricing over Model 3 LR.
iX is a monstrous boat with a very luxurious and spacious interior, and dated exterior styling. The oversized fake front grills is hideous (to me), and the overall boxy look just does nothing for me.
Thus I move on to continue comparison shopping between Model S and Lucid.
HTH,
a
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heavyD
Member
Not true at all. The M3 with xDrive easily takes it in the 1/4 mile. The only thing the Model 3 Performance has on any modern BMW performance car is instant throttle response. After a few seconds the BMW is passing it and leaving it in the dust as you can see by the rolling races. Also you may want to take a look at the acceleration of the M5 as it's considerably faster than the Model 3 Performance. There's no doubt the Model 3 Performance changed the landscape when it launched a few years back but automakers are improving ICE as a rapid rate surpassing anything the Model 3 can do.
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oreobbq
Member
75%?? Nah give me a model 3 plaid! As the driver you're controlling the action so your head should either be back or your muscles are prepared for the acceleration so your head isn't flopping around like a newborn.
The BMW M3 XDrive is a great car. They've really upped their game but if I was looking at a fully loaded M3 for $100k, I'd seriously look at the Plaid given maintenance costs of the M. There is a far bigger difference between the Plaid and M than there is between a M3 and Performance so it might be worth it.
Anything apart from the effortless, real-world performance combined with unachievable efficiency?
I've had my '22 M3P for two months now and there's no going back to ICE. Was reading a story earlier about the Porsche Cayman GT4 ePerformance, which "according to Porsche, the top speed and lap times of the GT4 ePerformance will be similar to a 992 GT3 Cup car". The landscape has changed, as you say.
ODWms
Member
Typically, in real world comparisons, people aren’t talking about driving over 100 mph when they talk acceleration. That’s why 0-60 numbers are more relevant. In that realm there are few cars in its class out there that are going to touch the Model 3 Performance, even to 100. I had such an encounter with a nice guy in a M8 Competition last weekend who can attest. he went full boat, with launch control and the whole nine. On paper, our numbers are similar. Not in practical application.
My next door neighbor just ordered a Bmw i4 m50. We've had many discussions about my M3P and BMW. I came from a 2021 BMW M2 Competition in a manual.
Its true that the BMW will most likely have a nicer interior. But having driven many BMW M cars in the past, the trade-off between BMW driving dynamics and Tesla driving dynamics is practically imperceptable by a normal day to day person/driver. In fact, my Tesla M3P has MUCH more adjustability than my M2 Competition had and its much more fun all around.
I also considered BMW electric prior to landing on the Tesla M3P and landed on Tesla. Its cheaper, better performance and Tesla are the "experts" on electric. The trade-off with nicer interior design was negligeable given BMW's interior propensity to fall apart completely after a couple years.
Its true that the BMW will most likely have a nicer interior. But having driven many BMW M cars in the past, the trade-off between BMW driving dynamics and Tesla driving dynamics is practically imperceptable by a normal day to day person/driver. In fact, my Tesla M3P has MUCH more adjustability than my M2 Competition had and its much more fun all around.
I also considered BMW electric prior to landing on the Tesla M3P and landed on Tesla. Its cheaper, better performance and Tesla are the "experts" on electric. The trade-off with nicer interior design was negligeable given BMW's interior propensity to fall apart completely after a couple years.
Hey, I also come from an M2C, but in DCT. How has been your experience thus far?
As for the i4...It looks to be a good car, but when it comes to electric cars I believe that at the moment, Tesla has the best technology, and in my opinion, the Model 3 is a better-looking car than the i4.
scalbert03
Member
Purchase a vehicle to get attention????
TBF if you are using either of these cars at the limit on a corner then you aren’t going to have a license for long!Unless there's a corner.
Why even buy an M3P then if we are talking about legal speeds? An SR+ is more than enough in that scenario.
As an aside, the BMW M3 comp x-drive would eviscerate the M3P around the track. it's not even debatable.
An M3P loses its legs once you go over legal speeds so probably doesn’t have the license losing potential of an M3. Fully agree on the track. Percentage of owners that actually track their M3?
I really don't like some of the slimy tactics BMW dealers in the New England area are using with the i4 M50. If you look at Autotrader, Cars.com, etc many BMW dealers appear to advertise them as being in stock and ready for sale. When you reachout to a dealer some of them are honest and say "that's just demo and not for sale but we can order you one". Others say, "yes come down and we can negotiate". Well yes they want you to drive 100+ miles to then put down a deposit to order one and then wait 9-12+ months.
A few honest dealers warned me that any dealer claiming they have an i4 M50 for sale right now is just trying to get you to put a deposit and wait. Some of them are also charging dealer markup and not being open about it.
There are definitely pros and cons to the i4 M50 vs M3P, but I decided on the M3P. I came close to buying an M3 Comp Xdrive but wow the prices get high once you add in options and taxes. On day 2 with my M3P and I am really impressed with the car so far. It definitely needs some suspension mods to get it dialed in, but even stock the car handles well and has brutal acceleration. Having owned a slightly modified Supra (BMW B58 engine) I can tell you the instant torque and acceleration is the big difference. It's instantaneous and the car does not lose traction either.
A few honest dealers warned me that any dealer claiming they have an i4 M50 for sale right now is just trying to get you to put a deposit and wait. Some of them are also charging dealer markup and not being open about it.
There are definitely pros and cons to the i4 M50 vs M3P, but I decided on the M3P. I came close to buying an M3 Comp Xdrive but wow the prices get high once you add in options and taxes. On day 2 with my M3P and I am really impressed with the car so far. It definitely needs some suspension mods to get it dialed in, but even stock the car handles well and has brutal acceleration. Having owned a slightly modified Supra (BMW B58 engine) I can tell you the instant torque and acceleration is the big difference. It's instantaneous and the car does not lose traction either.
I was completely put off with the tyre tactics they pulled. Different compounds, one for range and one for acceleration but they present the stats for the best of each together. It’s one or the other for the i4 M50 not both.
